Hunters VS Werewolves
by Gia Ursula
Summary: Stiles and Allison Argent are predicted to be the next big thing in the world of werewolf hunting. And the Hale pack knows it. So what happens when they take the twins hostage? All out war! But which side will win? (Possible Sterek in the future)
1. Chapter 1

''So it's happening tonight then?''

Derek groaned. He became tired of his little brother's need for constant reassurance and reminding.

''Yes Scott, we're taking the Argent twins tonight. They're not that well guarded tonight. Two of the packs not so far from here are having some kind of showdown with each other. The drive's two hours away, by the time they realise, we'll already have them out of there''

Scott nodded silently. Derek had learnt over the years that meant he was either accepting what you were saying. Or he just didn't want to speak up about it. Either way, Derek wasn't in the mood to have him challenge him. Not tonight.

Although Derek didn't necessarily approve of the plan, it was Peter's plan. And he wasn't going to defy his alpha any time soon. Not just out of the strong sense of loyalty but due the fact that, although Peter may have been older, he was just as strong.

After Derek and Scott had been held by the Argents after the fire, Peter had become an obsessive amount more protective of his pack over the years. Recruiting more members and purposefully going after hunters. It lead to a hectic lifestyle of hadn't even stepped foot inside of a school since he was sixteen. Peter couldn't let his nephew go back. Especially not with the Argent twins in a neighbouring school.

Ah yes, the infamous Argent twins. The pair were only nineteen yet they had a lot of packs worried. They came from a strong unit of hunters, their father and grandfather being very successful in their trade. Peter had no doubt in his mind that Chris and Gerrard were already training them. Apparently the girl Allison, was skilled in Archery. Specifically with wolfsbane coated arrows. The boy, Stiles... was surprisingly dead on the radar. But that didn't mean Peter wasn't preparing for him. Perhaps they were keeping him under wraps. A secret weapon of sorts. But he had his own: Derek and Scott

It pained Peter a little to think that his two nephews were now 'weapons' but for the sake of survival, he trained them excessively. Made them stronger, faster, smarter. He tried his best to prepare them for anything. The hunters were unpredictable, especially the Argents. They were a strong family. The Lahey's were a small family. Just a father and son but they had their presence felt nonetheless. The Whittemore's only had one son as the Martin's only had one daughter. But those two weren't as prominent or as threatening so he didn't waste much time fretting about those two.

Erica and Boyd had become recent additions. Recent by Peter's standards as they'd been with the pack only three years. Whereas Scott and Derek were family. They had proved themselves in times of crisis so Peter kept them around. Even cared for them as if they're last names were Hale. But he wouldn't let himself get carried away with pack mentality too much. Peter was loyal. Yet he knew it could only benefit so much before it held a person back.

He liked Erica's fire and passion. The way her eyes glowed viciously in and out of wolf form. He also hoped that she would interest one of his nephews but was pleased for her anyway when her and Boyd announced their relationship. Even more pleased when she announced her pregnancy, which led to another addition to the pack, Talia. Who they'd honourably named after Derek and Scott's mother. He found it odd given that they'd never met her but he assumed it was simply to show their respect. Neither Derek or Scott challenged it. Scott liked the gesture. Derek did not.

Either way, the pack fell in love with the little girl and felt a strong sense of attatchement to her little giggles and cheeky grins. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to get a normal education but Boyd was more than able of providing her with one.

Boyd was the most quiet member of the pack. You could mistake it for being shy but it was so much more than that. It was sly, thoughtful observation. He always noted the little things in case they turned out to be important. He was usually the voice of reason. The calm. Which explained how he fit Erica's impulsive nature so well as he naturally dampened her fire without extinguishing it entirely. As cheesy as it sounded, they completed each other.

* * *

''Why do I have to stay home and look after Talia?'' Erica complained.

''Because honey, one of us has to. And if one of us has to get hurt tonight-''

''Which you won't!'' She interrupted vehemently.

''-I'd rather it be me than you'' Boyd finished.

She reluctantly accepted this and wrapped her arms around him. ''Promise me you'll come home in time for story time''.

He kissed the top of her head, ''Are you kidding? Daddy never misses story time''

She giggled as she buried her head deeper into his warm, broad shoulders.

She stepped back and looked up at him. She wanted to say it but Boyd just kissed her goodbye and said, ''I know''.

Boyd joined the others as they went over the plan one more time.

''Ready?''

''As we'll ever be''.

They all left Erica and Talia behind.

She was bathing Talia upstairs when she heard the door slam. She rubbed the soapy water over her daughters arms and body. Almost as if she recognised the situation, Talia looked up at her confused.

''It's okay baby. Daddy will be home in time for story time before bed'' she said the last part absent-mindedly, ''He promised''


	2. Chapter 2

Allison squinted her eyes at the bullseye she drew on the forest tree in chalk. She pulled back the string and let go.

She sighed, ''Still not perfect!''

''I dunno that looks pretty good to me'' Stiles commented

''Pretty good won't cut it when werewolves are clenching their teeth down on our windpipes!'' she hissed.

Stiles threw both his hands up in apology, ''I give up!''

''Besides, you need to start learning this as well''

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck nervously, ''Sis, I told you I'd prefer to just stick to the... knowledge side of things''.

Stiles preferred to study the lycanthropic creatures from a book. He found their nature fascinating. Not just how they killed or what their weaknesses were but how they felt, their bonds and their pack mentality. But like much of his family, Allison was only interested in what helped her kill the things.

* * *

Stiles knew they were monsters. But he felt his own family were a bit too black-and-white with their outlook on hunting: ''Are they a werewolf?'', ''Yes'', ''Kill it!''

From what he'd studied, natural born werewolves could control themselves during a full-moon so perhaps they didn't go on the bloodthirsty rampages that their parents described.

Besides a few years ago, he'd had his own experiences with one.

The Argent's often boasted about the Hale fire. Labelling it their greatest success. However when Stiles pointed out there were humans in there as well, their parents shrugged it off saying that a few lives have to be sacrificed for the greater good.

It made his stomach sick but he said no more on the subject. It would only lead to him being more disgusted and disappointed by his parent's shameless approach on it.

It was his and Allison's 16th birthday party and he was mad at his aunt Kate because she promised she was going to stay this time and she hadn't.

He wondered down the basement after he thought he could hear her laughing.

How to god he wished he hadn't gone down there.

He peaked from around the corner to see what she was doing. Torturing another boy his age while she made his brother watch.

Stiles couldn't help but flinch every time she brandished his skin with a new burn mark. She was holding some sort of red hot poker in her hand. His older brother tried to scream and shout from under the rag in his mouth. The worse of it was the look on Kate's face. Such sick elation she'd got from it all. This was the same woman who had sung happy birthday with a bright smile on her face, the same one she has now, just an hour ago.

He could have fainted until he saw the brother's eyes meet his and that anchored him back somehow.

Those green eyes that looked like they were close to giving up hope. A certain desperation.

Yet it wasn't begging him to do something. It was simply looking at him like he was involved in it. The feeling he couldn't shake off for the rest of the night.

He tried to return to the festivities but it wasn't the same. He looked at all these smiling people much differently than before. He wondered if they smiled like that when they did things like _that_.

They'd bragged over the years, sure! Stiles had even viewed it in an heroic way when he was younger. As he grew older, he struggled to see the heroic nature of such acts as the lines between duty and pleasure was being blurred constantly by them. They say they _had_ to it and still they found a joy and pride in it. Then he wondered what other lines would become blurred. What about a wolf sympathiser? Were they another part of the duty as well? What of those who were turned through no choice of their own? Where was the sympathy? The lack of it made him feel sick.

He couldn't tell Allison. He knew she was one of them. _Them_. A dirty word to describe the family he felt so alienated from now.

* * *

It was the end of the party. Everyone had gone home and to bed. Even Kate needed rest.

Stiles had always been a good kid. No fighting, no drugs or bad girlfriends (they really didn't need to worry about that one). Always got grades. Always polite and kind. But this night was the only act of rebellion in his short life.

He took a torch as he went to the basement and crept slowly down the stairs.

Even the slight tip-toeing was enough to awaken the older brother, who had clearly become more sensetive and protective of his little brother whimpering in the corner.

Stiles knelt down in front of those green eyes and faced him.

He was unsure of what he saw. Both looked at each other in curiosity. Wanting to know more. Learn more. But both felt afraid.

Without thinking Stiles went over to the table. It contained all the instruments she had used. He looked at it all not wanting to even imagine what was used and for what purpose. He slide his hand across the table. He saw that they were afraid.

The first words Stiles spoke were: ''I'm not like them''.

This comforted them in a strange way. Probably because of the cracked and upset way he had said them. As if he was just as surprised to them as they were to seeing him.

Then he picked up a key to the little cells they were being held in. He unlocked the door and realised they were shackled to the wall. He came closer to inspect and noticed the blood around the inside of the ankle shackles. They'd clearly struggled.

''Jesus!'' He exclaimed and covered his mouth with his hand, feeling repulsed.

He came closer to the younger one who backed off a little.

''I won't hurt you''

Those brown eyes stared back to see if Stiles' was trying to trick him. They were childlike which only made the hurt he was feeling affect Stiles' sympathy for him even more.

He came further forward and allowed Stiles to release him.

For a long time, Scott stared at his rescuer in disbelief. Was this another trick?

Then he stared at Derek and Stiles got the hint to release the older brother too.

As soon as Derek was free, he pinned the other boy down. He wasn't sure why. He was furious and tired. Tired of being treated as inferior. Furious that his brother and him had been hurt so easily.

He could smell the fear radiating off of the young boy restrained underneath him. Yet he did not scream or yell for his parents he continued to gaze back at him. His heart was beating so hard Derek could see it bursting out of his chest like in the old cartoons. However his face still remained... kind? Is that the word Derek would use?

A tidal wave of guilt hit him as he looked at how Scott was looking at him. He was now afraid of him. His little brother who he was meant to protect, was now scared of what he might do.

''I showed you mercy. All I ask is that you return it''

Derek thought about the word the boy had used. _Mercy_. When had his aunt ever shown him mercy?! But he had. He had pitied them enough to let them go. He was right. He wasn't like the others. Derek could see that now and slipped away from him with Scott. The kid was just laid there still on the floor.

All Stiles could do was stare at the ceiling and think about how the werewolf had nearly just killed him, But he didn't. He didn't kill him. That's how he knew the lines became too blurred. Derek had shown him that werewolves were just as capable of mercy and emotion as humans were.

He didn't have a long time to rejoice in this small victory as the next morning. He was punished: Severely.

He could believe that his father actually whipped his back. Given him lashing as Stiles laid on his back, shirtless and bleeding.

The scars were still there. Faded a little but he was almost glad it still remained. So it could remind him that humans and werewolves aren't that different after all.


	3. Chapter 3

The three wolves skulked around the garden and saw the two guards by the back garden door.

''Boyd you take out the guards, Scott you will take care of any additional guards while me and Peter grab the twins''

''Scott, can you handle that?'' Peter asked. He hadn't meant it to be condescending. He asked it merely out of concern.

''I get it, I'm the youngest one but that doesn't mean I'm not ready Uncle Pete! You guys can rely on me.''

Derek was haunted by the determined look on his little brother's face and thought about where had all the time had passed from when he was the little boy who cried when he'd scraped his knees or sung along to the theme tunes of his favourite morning cartoons.

* * *

They leapt forward from the bushes and Scott immediately slashed the neck of the first guard on the door and had already pounced on the other as he tried to get his gun out. The others were bursting through the glass patio doors and into the living room. No one was there until two others came fumbling done the stairs.

* * *

The shrill and slaughtered screams of the guards awoke Stiles and he rushed across the landing to his sister's room.

He shouted ''ALLISON!'' and came out of the door and flung her arms around her brother.

They both panicked when they saw the red pair of eyes suddenly grin.

''Shit!'' he cried and grabbed Allison by her hand and practically grabbed her up to the attic. It was a stupid place to hide. No possible way of escape.

Allison whispered furiously at him, ''Why did you bring us up here?! We're trapped now!''

''I-I-I don't know!''

''What do you mean you don't know?''

''I mean I DON'T FUCKING KNOW ALLISON!'' He screamed back at her.

There was sudden silence.

They could hear footsteps now. The two were suddenly grateful they'd closed the door and pull out stairs behind them.

Stiles mouthed at her to follow him and hide behind two wooden crates. He gave her a nod towards the boxes to look for weapons. Hopefully their parents kept some up there. Stiles knew what Allison didn't: Wolves could hear heartbeats from miles away. And theirs would be hard to miss, meaning they had a minute at most before they realised where they were. He'd hoped the screams of the other hunters had hidden their voices when they were talking earlier. Then he realised how horrible the thought was. These were normal people he'd socialised with everyday. He knew their names, their families. He'd visited their houses!

Now they were dead. They died protecting them. Which was fast seeming pointless as it was likely they were now going to die in the attic.

Allison had to stop herself squealing in rejoice when she found a gun. Stiles repressed his sigh of relief, now over aware of the brilliant hearing of wolves. She tried to feel the side of the trigger. If it was a gun hunting werewolves it would have a Latin inscription on the side of it. She dragged her finger across it multiple times before shaking at her head at her brother.

Normal bullets. That would not kill. But slow down perhaps. It was worth the effort at one last attempt to make it out there alive.

* * *

''I can smell them. Hear their heartbeats. But where is it coming from?''

Derek sniffed up again, ''It's up above us''

''Are they on the roof?'' Scott asked.

Then it hit Peter like a wave. ''No. The attic. We have to find it''

* * *

Not long after they did and Allison and Stiles could hear them coming closer.

''Allison, shoot at them as much as you can. I'll push myself on top of them and while they're busy, you try and find your crossbow and shoot them''

Allison's eyes widened. ''Stiles, they'll kill you! No I won't do it!''.

He grabbed her face with both his hands. ''Either both of us will die or one of us will live''. He had tears in his eyes and so did his sister. Both realising this was goodbye.

Allison had been taught to think logically rather than emotionally. Taught that sacrifice was sometimes necessary. Except now that it was actually happening right in front of her, to her twin she could barely accept it.

''Besides, I was always the screw up right? You were always gonna be the big bad werewolf hunter'' he joked but even now she couldn't bare it.

''Don't say that. Mom and dad love you'' she whimpered.

He kissed the top of her head, ''Not as much as they love you. Take care of them for me?''.

She nodded and their moment was interrupted as the Hales ripped down the stairs and clawed their way up and Allison stood and shot furiously at them while Stiles threw his body forward against them so hard it winded him as they all fell, the wolves bleeding and riddled with bullets. Allison managed to shove past them and sprint down the stairs almost tripping on the last step.

The adrenaline pumping through her was enough for her to switch off any emotions. To switch off any consideration for her brother. Her mind solely focused on finding that crossbow.

Although they were bleeding, it didn't take their bodies long to heal from the bullets and push them out of their skin. Stiles couldn't look away from the weirdly fascinating sight. As the alpha got up, Stiles grabbed his ankle with as much force as his weakly human body could manage.

''ALLISON! RUN!'' was all the warning he could manage to scream out of his lungs before Peter shoved the heel of his boot against Stiles' fragile face, rearranging the bones in his nose making him bleed and lose consciousness as his head hit the wooden attic floor. His eyelids blinked for a few seconds before the dizziness overpowered him and he shut them.

* * *

Peter ran down the stairs now in his full form and headed towards the girl's bedroom.

Allison managed to get into her bedroom and put a chair under the door. Which would only give her a few extra seconds but it was every little second that counted in a fight. Something also engrained into her. She scrambled to find the crossbow out from under her bed and managed to load it with an arrow before Peter burst throw her door.

In her haste she had wasted the wolfsbane arrow as it only skimmed past the alpha's arm but was enough to weaken him.

She couldn't find another arrow and panicked. She took a second and thought of where there would be more. The basement!

She fled past him through the doorway when she spotted one of the other wolves coming out of the attic and fell down the stairs as she misplaced her foot, looking too long at it.

When she got up, the crossbow still gripped tight in her hand as she was not going to let it go. She tried to recover from the fall quickly but cried out, realising too late that she'd sprained her ankle, the pain shooting through her too quickly to prevent her from getting up. She squinted her eyes in effort to overpower the pain as she forced herself to get up and limp towards the basement.

But a dark figure had already grabbed her and wrapped it's arm around her neck and grabbed her wrist with the other.

''Drop it!''

But she refused to until they pressed their thumb so hard into her forearm that it gave way and she dropped it.

''Good girl'' they praised in such a sinister tone.

She learned his name was Scott when the other two joined them.

When she saw them carrying her limp and bloody brother down the stairs, she became hysterical and began to try and kick her legs out.

She was thrashing and crying against the strong grip Scott had on her. Even if she knew that escape was impossible, she just wanted to lash out.

''STILES! Ple-e-e-ase god no!'' she sobbed as she stared at her lifeless brother.

She took in a deep breath and tried to stop her tears. She didn't want to cry when she was killed. She wanted to go out with some dignity. She didn't want the retelling of her death to be her begging and weeping for her life. She had more spine than that.

She looked Peter straight in the eyes.

''What are you waiting for? Huh? Just kill me. You've killed my brother that means I'm next, right?''

When he looked at her with no response or emotion, it pushed her grief further and she screamed it at him ''JUST FUCKING KILL ME ALREADY!''

Peter laughed and felt Stiles' pulse. ''your brother's not dead, sweetheart''.

She exhaled shakily in relief. ''Thank god!''

She saw the way he was looking at her. Like prey. It snapped her out of her temporary happiness.

''It's me you want. My brother hasn't got a hunting bone in his body. He's useless! He wouldn't ever become a threat to any of you, trust me! Me... If you let me live I would become a threat. I'd kill you, I'll admit that, okay? But him? Let him live. He won't do you any harm, I promise. Please... grant me a last request, hey? Leave my brother alive?''.

Peter came closer to her so that she could see his face that was once masqueraded by darkness. It was a handsome face, but not a kind one. Especially with the cruel smirk that was playing on it. His eyes were as red and dark as the blood on her brother's face. It sent a chill over her skin and made it burn under his glare.

''What makes you think I want to kill either of you?''

Allison couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had to ask the question.

''What do you want then?''

''My dear...'' he stroked her face with the back of his hand and she squirmed away from it, which only delighted him as he had this little fighter so easily scared. ''… We want to recruit you''

The Bite.

''No'' she shook her head adamantly. ''NO!'', she struggled against Scott and screamed her objections over and over again as he leant in towards her arm. But the yelling and the struggling were cut off as she felt the sharp teeth bite down deep into her veins. It was like she could feel the darkness clinging inside of her and felt a sudden sea of sickness as the infection started to be spread into her blood, her entire body feeling pathetic and weak as it tried to fight against something unholy and unnatural.

Peter let the blood linger on his teeth and lips. It wasn't for the taste but the proof of victory. Turning a hunter. He couldn't imagine anything more gloriously ironic.

Her eyelids fluttered as she also felt herself slipping away into consciousness. Allison had fought. Stiles had fought. But they had failed. Although Stiles still had worse to come when he awakened. For now they were peaceful. Sleeping. Not realising that the nightmare would only end when they fell asleep again, not when they awakened.


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles woke up with a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He'd completely forgotten what had happened until he saw Allison tied to a chair in front of him. His natural brotherly instinct was to go to her until he realised he was tied up as well.

''Finally decided to join the land of the living then?'' Peter mocked.

Stiles spat in his face.

''Fuck you'' he grunted at him.

Allison looked shocked. So did everyone. Except Peter who laughed it off and wiped the spit off his face. He wasn't as amused when he shoved the chair Stiles was in to the ground with harsh thud. Stiles tried to suppress his cries of pain with low and strong grunts as he felt his hands crippled under the weight of the chair they were tied behind as they were crushed against the floor.

It was then worsened by Peter putting his foot on Stiles' chest even if he was only pressing down lightly.

''Tough kid. Not as weak as your sister made you out to be.''

 _''He won't do you any harm''_ he mockingly impersonated before he carried on. ''But you're not as soft as you like to make out''

''Well that sucks I like to be thought of as a big cuddly teddy bear. Then again, I guess when you're trying to kill my sister and me, my nasty streak comes out''

Peter started laughing again and leaned down over him. ''Oh I like you. You're funny'' he got up and walked towards Allison and put his hands on her shoulders.

''Not like your sister. All she does is cry, cry, cry'' even doing the motion of rubbing his hand across his eyes to mock her.

''If I'm so funny, I'll be better to keep around than a cry-baby. So why don't you let her go? She'll never obey you. She'll kill you first chance she gets. She's fearless like that'' Stiles observed proudly.

Peter nodded, ''very true. She isn't afraid of anything...'' he rushes over to Stiles and stamps his foot down on his stomach and Allison tries to scream under her gag.

''… that happens to her but she does care deeply for what happens to her brother''

Stiles huffed out in pain still determined not to give any more satisfaction to Peter but it joyed him to watch Stiles try to act as the tough man.

* * *

Peter called out Scott who came into the room.

Scott took his first proper look at Stiles and something felt eerily familiar about him. Maybe he reminded him of someone he used to know? Something... but he couldn't place what.

Peter puts his arm around Scott's shoulders and pulled him closer towards Stiles,

''You did very well today, my boy and as a reward... I'm letting you give the Bite. I think you've earnt it''.

When Scott kept looking down at Stiles in silence his uncle was intrigued. ''You do want to. Don't you? All I've heard from you for years is that you wanted to turn someone''

It was true. Giving the Bite was considered a rite of passage by werewolves like humans considered driving for the first time a rite of passage or a first kiss. But for years Scott had always been denied his chance by his uncle. Labelling it too risky and that he might get caught.

''I do but... this doesn't feel right. It feels too easy. I didn't earn it. I didn't hunt him''.

''Well Scott think of it as training wheels on bicycle. It's a good first practise!''

Scott just shook his head. He couldn't do this to the boy. Something about it felt wrong.

* * *

Uncle Peter sighed at him and called out his brother Derek.

''Yes?''

Peter points to Stiles, ''Show your brother how it's done''

Derek groaned, ''fine''.

He stalked over Stiles and his green eyes flashed blue and Stiles realised where he'd seen those eyes before. Where he'd seen Scott before. They were the boys in the basement he released.

As Derek hovered over him about to bite his neck all Stiles could think to say was, ''I showed you mercy...''

Which caused Derek to jolt his head away from Stiles' neck and look down at him horrified. Surely not? It can't have been him. But who else would know what meaning it had? He looked at his brown eyes and recognised them as the one that had pitied him and his brother those years ago.

Scott also recognised the meaning and nearly gasped when he connected the image of Stiles with the boy who had set them free. He'd realised now why his instinct fought against him.

''….All I ask is that you return it'' Stiles finished.

Derek looked down, staring at him in disbelief. He strayed, unsure of what to do so he just remained there still until Peter yelled at him, ''What are you waiting for? DO IT!''

''Derek...'' Stiles begged but Derek had already clasped his open jaw around Stiles' throat and forced each and every fang deep beneath the skin. His skin was torn open by the excruciatingly sharp bite and he felt something much harsher grip itself on the walls of Stiles' veins and drain him. It was painful beyond anything he'd ever felt and honestly thought in that moment he was going to die. He slipped away into sleep as the sensation overwhelmed him.

Derek got up slowly and looked at everyone in the room.

Allison's eyes were haunted with disappointment and guilt. More horror flicked over them as she saw the amount of her brother's blood dripping from Derek's hungry mouth.

Scott looked unsure of himself. He was obviously preoccupied with many thoughts at the time being.

Peter just stared at him like he normally would, completely unaffected.

But Derek wasn't. He'd just ruined this kid's life in a heartbeat... because Peter had told him to.


	5. Chapter 5

Allison watched with an powerful feeling of being defeated as Scott picked up her brother and carried him up the stairs.

Peter removed the rag in her mouth and it drooped to her neck. She swallowed down the little saliva she still had left to speak.

''Where are you taking him?''

''To his new room'' Peter answered, ''It's a nice enough room. Hell it's a nice enough house!''

As Allison looked around, now not feeling as in mortal danger, felt she had time to look around. It was a spacious living room. The house was clean and nicely decorated. Almost... homely. But she reminded herself of what home was really like and the bloody mess it was left in

He crouched down to the back of the chair where her hands were tied and whispered in her ear, ''If I let you go, you have to promise to behave yourself. Or I'll baptise your brother's new room with his own entrails, understood?''

She nodded.

''Good'' and untied her hands.

She felt the wrist that was bitten in to. It was sore and red. The rubbing against the rope made it worse and had a pink rings wrapped around her wrists where they were tied. The bite wound itself had healed. But it was still present. Sensing her curiosity, Peter answered a few of her unspoken questions.

''It won't hurt as much after a few hours and no, the scar will never go away''.

This alone nearly reduced her back to teats. She would now have a constant reminder of the hell she's in and the monster she will inevitably become.

He untied the ropes around her ankles. She went to stand but nearly fell until Peter caught her. His hands on her was an uncomfortable sensation and she pushed him off as hard as she could. He didn't move at first but he backed off, showing that he could do what he wanted but gave her a little bit of dignity anyway.

''I'm not your enemy here, Allison. At least now anymore''

She rubbed her wound to try to soothe the pain. It was of little effect but it was more something to do to combat the sick, nervous feeling that being here gave her.

''You will always be my enemy. I'll never be loyal to you!'' She insisted but even she was unsure about this.

''Your heartbeat's telling me a different story''. She didn't understand that werewolves could spot a liar. ''Besides Allison, I'd like to see what would happen if you had to survive on your own''.

Derek stepped forward. '''You need us now Allison. Whether you like it or not, we're your only protection now''.

Derek was attempting to be comforting towards the girl. He felt the slightest bit of pity for her. Though of course, Derek wasn't a smooth talker and it sounded more like she was a prisoner than one of the pack.

''For how long?'' she challenged. ''My parents have taken out bigger packs than you. And if I remember correctly, you're not as big as you once were. Because of MY parents''

Her aim was to insult and upset them which had succeeded as Peter had to put his arm out to stop Derek from attacking her. By the way he was looking at her, she was oddly grateful that he had.

''Derek, calm yourself. The little girl just wants to play with us'' Peter told him calmly.

He came closer to her and kept his smile.

He grabbed her hair in his fist tightly and pulled her further forward. ''But she must learn that it doesn't end well'' .

He let go of her with such force it threw her to the ground.

* * *

He called for Erica and she came into the room holding Talia at her hip.

''Yes, Peter?''

''Take Allison to her new room''.

She nodded in obedience and handed the toddler over to Derek.

Erica grabbed Allison and linked arms with her in an confusing sisterly way and walked her up the stairs.

''Allison, is it?'' she asked.

She only nodded in response.

''It'll be nice to have another girl in the pack. Well apart from Talia but she's only a little girl. It'll be nice to have another one of us here. Someone to gossip with and share clothes. It's been a while since I've had a girlfriend. It should be nice to have one again''

The way she was talking confused Allison. She seemed accommodating on the surface yet there was something about it she didn't trust. As if what she was saying was more of a command than it was an offer of friendship. And the repetition of the word nice made it feel like it was going to be anything but.

Allison still decided to play along.

''Is Talia your daughter?''

Erica almost seemed surprised but overcame it quickly enough, ''Yes. She's my baby girl''.

There was a fondness in her voice that made her sound human like, a trait she'd never associated with werewolves. She knew they were loyal to another but Allison always thought of it as more a survival tactic and a sense of duty rather than there being any actual love there.

''She's beautiful''. And she was. A charming smile and brown curls tinted with her mother's blondness. She was adorable.

''Just like her mother'' she tagged on.

And the moment was ruined by Erica's arrogance. It didn't matter as she stopped outside of a room and opened the door.

''This is your room''.

It was big and had a double bed in the middle of it with golden sheets and two bedside tables. There was a nice, wooden wardrobe underneath the window guarded with red curtains. It was like a hotel room.

Before she could question any of it, Erica was gone and the door closed behind her.

* * *

Allison looked around the room. At the books on the shelves. All classic and old leather bound books like Frankenstein or the Importance of being Earnest.

She chuckled to herself. ''Stiles would love this''

Her thoughts took an immediate turn to him. Would he be in a room like this? Would he still be sleeping? She felt an overwhelming need to be there for him when he woke up. When she woke up alone, it was terrifying. If she could lessen her brother's pain and confusion, she would.

But she didn't want to look like this. Covered in blood and dirt. She saw the long mirror at the corner in the room and looked into it.

Her paleness was always something she hated about herself. Her black curly hair was often difficult to manage. She remembered when her mother would spend hours trying to get a brush through it.

''Don't you ever wash it child?'' she'd say and Allison would always swear blind she did.

Her smile at the memory faded when she saw herself in the mirror and faced reality again. There was a door which she assumed led to a bathroom and was proven right when she stepped inside it.

Towels were already there on a rack near the shower. A post-it note that read: ''Get yourself cleaned up'' with a smiley face at the end.

Unsure of whether it was a friendly suggestion or a hidden command she stripped off her clothes and turned it on, putting her hand under the nozzle until it produced warm water. As she stepped in the pool of water at her feet was filled with a grimy brown and red colour as she washed off dirt, blood and mud off of her fair skin. She ran her fingers through her hair soothingly as she tried to wash it and put the off-brand shampoo and conditioner in to combat the sticky and sweaty feeling her scalp had.

 _They must have dragged us through the woods_ , she thought.

It was the only explanation for all the muck. She yelped out when the water hit her wrist and the bite. Now the blood had been washed away, the bite mark was pink and blotchy with purple and yellow surrounding it. She traced each individual tooth that had sunken into it with her finger.

She slid down the shower wall and brought her knees against her chest to cry, unaware that they could all hear it anyway.

* * *

''God, does she ever stop crying?'' Erica complained.

''Her life did just get turned upside down, Erica'', Derek argued, ''She'll get over it soon enough''.

Derek still had Talia on his hip and hushed her as Scott came bouncing down the stairs.

Erica was ready to fire a dozen questions at him about the other twin.

''Has the boy woken up yet?''

''No'' He directed his question at his brother ''Derek, it's taking a long time for him to stop bleeding, should we be concerned?''

Derek wasn't sure. If he didn't turn in time, he might die from the bloodloss. But it wasn't often a body rejected a bite.

''No it's fine. It should stop once his new instincts kick in''.

* * *

Erica started giggling at a private joke to herself until Scott and Derek started looking at her. ''What?''

''Nothing. It's just the boy, Stiles is it?''

They nodded and she continued.

''Even when he's beaten, covered in blood and half-conscious, he's still pretty hot. Imagine what he'll look like when he's freshened up'' she observed.

Derek had noted to himself that Stiles was handsome but he tried not to give it too much thought.

Scott just laughed at her flirty nature, ''Aren't you and Boyd, like, married?''

Erica just shrugged it off, ''I can enjoy the view, can't I? Besides don't act like that huntress didn't catch your eye, Scott. I've seen you!''

Derek sat up and took notice. He was too busy tying them up and handling them to notice the little hints of arousal emitting from his brother around the girl. It was subtle since it was only a slight crush and he'd clearly been busy enough to miss it at first glance.

Scott suddenly felt very coy and told Erica to shut up but Derek wasn't as tolerating of it.

''You're not mating with her! Do you know what her kind has done to this family?! Do you not remember what her aunt was like?'' he scolded

It pained him to bring up his part in the fire but it was important to get the message into Scott to not get involved with the girl like that.

''Okay yeah, Derek I get it. I understand'' he replied dejectedly

But it was worth it as Scott's hopes were cruelly dashed.

''I'll go check up on Stiles. See if he's woken up yet''

As soon as he'd left, Erica thumped Derek on the arm. Hard.

''What was that for?'' he complained.

She thumped him again. ''You could have at least let him hope. Or leave it up to her to let him down. That was cruel, Derek''

''I'm not having another fire caused like that again!''

Erica was going to correct him by reminding Derek that Scott isn't like what Derek was back then.

But it would only upset Derek. And she didn't want to do that when he was still holding her child.


	6. Chapter 6

Stiles woke up for the second time that day in a world of pain. There was a constant and sharp ringing in his ears, like he'd just been at a festival. His vision was blurred for a long time until he fluttered his eyes open and realised he was waking in a strange room.

''Allison? ALLISON!'' He called out as he tried to sit up.

But getting up so fast caused him to become dizzy. He couldn't stop himself vomiting from the side of his bed and onto the floor.

He could hear Scott gipping and repeating the word ''Gross!'' over and over again followed by a variety of disgusted groans.

But he just called out her name again and was gently pushed back into his bed by Scott. He tried to fight back weakly but Scott just kept saying ''Easy'' over and over, eventually obeying him and lying back again.

* * *

Allison had just finished getting changed into a pair of leggings and a shirt left in the wardrobe for her, when she heard her brother crying out.

''Stiles? STILES!'' She answered back and made a rapid dash into the hall and tried to figure out where it was coming from.

But she could hear all sorts of noises that were disorientating her: Erica chewing gum downstairs or all the different heartbeats filling the house prevented her from knowing where to go until Scott came out of Stiles' room and approached her.

''Where is he?!'' She yelled.

He pointed to the room and warned her it wasn't a pretty sight but she couldn't give a damn about that at this point. There were more important things to worry about.

As soon as she entered, she leapt on the bed throwing her arms around him and crushing him in a sisterly embrace.

''Allison'' he repeated drowsily.

''I'm right here Stiles. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here'' she reassured him.

He leant his face down into her shoulder. She smelt... different... not like Allison.

''You don't smell the same'' he commented.

''Well I did just take a shower so maybe I don't quite smell of death anymore!'' she laughed.

She let go of him and let him sit up. He looked absolutely terrible. His skin became a grey sickly colour and there were dark rings around his sedated eyes. His hair was still in the out of control spikes as they always were, but they were now dampened by sweat.

It broke her heart to look at the pillow and see the dried blood that had inevitably dripped from his neck. She wondered if he was even aware he'd been bitten or if he'd forgotten after he'd passed out from the pain.

''I know. I look like shit'' he joked.

She merely laughed. It was a desperate laugh. When he stroked her face, she stopped.

''Why do you have tears in your eyes?'' he asked her.

She didn't even realise she had. But she couldn't tell him the truth.

''I'm just glad to see you''.

He didn't know how but he knew. ''You're lying''.

It was in an epiphany that he remembered that he'd listened to her heartbeat and heard it skip. Something only werewolves could do.

He felt at his neck where the pain was and looked at his hand as he pulled it away and saw the blood.

''Oh god!'' He cried out.

She panicked. ''It's okay. We can... we can get cured, right? You're the genius, the-the-the bookworm. There is a cure for this, isn't there?''.

He had studied lycanthropy for years. There were rumours. But that's all they were: rumours. Absolutely nothing had been proven to cure it. But he couldn't bare to tell her this so he just shook his head.

She pulled him into another hug and he sobbed quietly to her that he was sorry.

Her newly heightened hearing allowed her to hear it. ''It's not your fault Stiles''.

Her sadness soon turned to anger, looking at Scott she yelled, ''It's theirs!''.

Scott just returned her stare but she couldn't hold it and broke away to hug Stiles again.

If Allison wasn't here, he doesn't know what he would have done without her. Then as she rested his head on her shoulder, he noticed Derek standing there looking at him.

He moved Allison off her gently and told her, ''I want to talk to him. Alone''

She was going to ask to when she saw the direction of his stare was at Derek. She was still curious about that but she broke away and obeyed his wish.

Scott took the hint and left as well.

They were now alone.

* * *

Derek looked at what he'd reduced Stiles to. A sick and bloody mess.

The hateful way he was looking at him made him feel more guilty than he thought he could have done.

''Do you remember me?'' before Derek could answer Stiles carried on anyway. ''I could tell you did by the way you looked at me. I started thinking that maybe you didn't. Because you wouldn't bite me after I'd saved you both, right?'' He asked bitterly.

He scoffed. ''Except you did. I was so naïve. I actually expected you to help me the way I helped you three years ago. I won't be that stupid... or that kind again''.

Derek gave the only defence he could think of, ''I had to. My alpha told me. I'd be punished if I didn't''

Stiles sat up on his bed and slowly began to unbutton his shirt.

''What are you doing?'' Derek asked, feeling alarmed and confused.

''You know this isn't the first time I've been marked because of you and your pack''.

When he shed off his shirt and turned around, Derek could see what he meant. There were deep whip marks on his back. They were faded but still a very prominent sight on his back, the pink flesh risen in the marks where he would have felt the horrible force of something hard and sharp on his gentle skin.

Derek felt as if he was going to be the next one to vomit. He just stood there, wide-eyed and silent.

''You didn't think I'd be punished when I let you guys go?'' Stiles turned around and began to button his shirt back up again. ''Or didn't you think of that?''

Derek didn't have an answer to give him. He couldn't believe what the boy had suffered through for the price of their freedom. And now his own freedom had been taken away from him. By the very people he'd released.

''I asked you for pity and I got none!'' he cried.

It soon transformed into something much darker. ''I should have left you to rot so my aunt would have slit your throats like the dogs you are!''.

Something animalistic-like came over Derek. He leapt over the bed, now placing his strong hand around Stiles' flimsy neck in a vice-like grip. His claws were retracted and began to dig in and re-enter the sensitive wound.

Yet he didn't hear Stiles' heartbeat increase one bit.

''Do it then'' he dared him. ''Finish the fucking job'' he choked out.

Derek realised what he was doing and let go. Stiles' body reacted naturally in trying to gasp for air again. Even Derek had surprised himself with his own actions.

Derek broke the silence.

''You aren't one of them because you're one of us''.

The words rang in Stiles' ears like walls closing in on him. He just shook his head. ''No. I'm not. I will never be one of you!''

Derek sighed. ''Then what are you? You're not one of us and you're not one of them. So what are you?''

''I guess that makes me an omega''

Derek tilted his head to the side. He was impressed. He clearly knew a lot about werewolves.

''You know what an omega is?''

''I know a lot about your kind'' he said bitterly.

Derek nodded. He might be useful to see what information hunters had about wolves.

''You might want to get a shower and get changed. There's some of Scott's old clothes in the wardrobe. You fucking reek''

Stiles realised what he was doing and shouted ''No.'' at him defiantly.

''Excuse me? I understand you don't want to obey any of us because you still feel like you can rebel but I don't get why you'd fight me on this. You look and smell terrible''.

''I won't wear Scott's old clothes''

Derek wanted to see if he had figured it out, ''Why?''

''Because I'll start to smell like him. Like I'm pack. So thanks but no thanks. I don't want any other werewolves thinking I'm with you guys cause I'm not''.

Derek couldn't lie. This was the second time the kid proved he wasn't just a pretty face.

''You know, your sister underestimates you a lot. She told us back there you were harmless. Clearly she was wrong. We might have use for you here after all. Now do as you're told and get cleaned up''.

With that last lingering comment in his mind Stiles obeyed. After he came out of the shower, he smelt the clothes and tried to pick the ones with the least amount of scent on them. The smell of Scott wouldn't linger on him as much then. It was a small victory but he would take all he could get.


	7. Chapter 7

It was morning time. Neither of the twins had really slept. They were kept awake most of the night trying to adapt to their new senses. Stiles woke up when he heard a car alarm going off, only to realise the sound was over twenty miles away. He could hear the woodland creatures stalking the woods at night for prey. He even felt sickened when he heard the final squeak of a mouse being crushed and eaten alive by an owl. Allison was having the same problems. Even her touch had become sensitive. Every surface felt much harsher or softer than it did before. Her bed was a safe place. It felt soft and was the only thing in the room that didn't bother her so she stayed in the same spot all night.

But there were still a lot of things she couldn't shake off. All the heartbeats. She could hear them all thudding and pumping away. Each thud feeling like an annoying poke in her side. It was all there and it was all overpowering.

With nothing to do, the two of them thought about their parents: were they looking for them? How were they feeling right now? How badly did they miss them?

Was their mother doing that nervous tapping as her false nails hit the smooth kitchen counters? Was their father trying to gather all of the men and searching high and low? Their father could never sit still. Especially in times of crisis.

What if they thought they were dead?

Stiles felt a crushing feeling on his heart as he realised that if his parents ever saw them again, they would kill him. It was part of the rules. Family or no family. Once you were turned, you had to be killed. No question about it. He'd strangely hoped they did think they were dead. Because then they wouldn't look for them and find out what they'd become.

They wouldn't have to kill them if they thought they were dead.

Stiles had searched his brain constantly since he realised they were bitten. Any small or slim chance they could be human again. But Stiles knew he had to stay in the realm of reality. And in the realm of reality, the slightest hope of a cure was immediately evaporated. Stiles' main source of misery in all this is the pity he felt for his sister.

Allison had a much deep routed hatred for werewolves than he had. He wasn't sure but he sometimes wondered if she'd already been taken out on a hunt. She had some kind of unforgettable loathing towards the creatures that Stiles could never manage. At least not back then. Now he wasn't so sure. Now he found it easier to let darkness cloud his heart after everything had been taken from him. He knew their lives would never be the same again. They couldn't go to college like they'd planned. Get a normal job, a normal life, a normal family. Even if they escaped the Hales, someone would find out about them. Another hunter would persecute them, even if they didn't hurt anyone.

That was the biggest fear for both of them now: Hurting another human. They wanted to keep their humanity but how much of it was now sacrificed as they fought the wolf inside them. Stiles was tired of trying to figure out the right or wrong thing to do. It almost didn't seem to matter anymore. But then he told himself: ''No. It does matter. That is the difference between us and them''.

But Stiles didn't even know what _us_ him and Allison belonged to anymore.

* * *

The twins were grateful when the sun came up. They had sat on their beds watching and waiting for the light to come through the window. It meant there was less time to think and surely enough they were called down the stairs for breakfast.

Although there was still a lot of mistrust between them all. Only echoed further as Scott and Erica waited outside their doors for them.

Allison thought about how Stiles had told her she smelt different. She smelt the clothes she'd dumped on the bathroom floor. Her own scent was hidden underneath dirt and blood. Very faint but still present. She began to smell the clothes she was now wearing. They did smell different. It was another scent. She sniffed it again but she couldn't recognise it.

 _''Someone to gossip with and share clothes''_

Erica. They must be Erica's clothes. But why would they give her Erica's old clothes? Were they not prepared for them? They must be, they had rooms ready for their arrival so why not clothes? Allison didn't understand what her brother had already figured out.

All she knew was that she suddenly couldn't stand the clothes on her and took them off like they were burning her.

''Allison'' Erica knocked on the door a little louder, ''Hurry up let's go!''.

Allison smelt the clothes again and adopted her brother's method of choosing the ones with the weakest scent. Presumably the clothes Erica least liked. She ended up wearing an unwanted Christmas jumper with a reindeer on the front of it. It looked home knitted. Probably a grandparent. She put on the jeans at the back of the drawer. They were a little too big for her but she wore them anyway. It was the lack of scent that was important.

When she emerged from the room, Erica arched her eyebrow at her. ''Really? All those nice clothes and you pick the granny sweater?''

''I like it. It's sweet!'' which she surprisingly meant. She preferred to look cute. It meant she could have a better cover.

Erica just shrugged it off and led her down to the dining room. Which was rather impressive. The table was made of stretched wooden oak that grew out to accommodate eight chairs on either side and two chairs at the ends.

Peter was undoubtedly in the head chair at the top of the table. Derek and Boyd sat next to him on either side while Talia was in a pink high chair near Boyd. He was spoon feeding her porridge and Derek was eating a full fry up, trying to read a newspaper and avoiding the bits of porridge being flung at it so he could still read the print. They all stopped what they were doing, even the toddler, when they saw that Allison had come down the stairs. She felt like she was on display.

''What would you like to eat?''

It was simple enough but everything Peter said seemed to have a dark undertone to it. As if he was compelling her to have breakfast. Which really wasn't necessary since she hadn't eaten since yesterday lunch time. How far away that now seemed.

''What do you have?'' she asked weakly.

Erica jumped in with a list of different things: porridge, jam, Weetabix, muesli, toast, fry up.

She interrupted her to ask for jam on toast. It was simple and would taste fine enough.

''Your wish is my command'' and she pretended to do a royal curtsey before she stood above Boyd and signalled at him to swap. He groaned and went to go make the toast. Erica continued the duty of feeding Talia and seemed to take great pride in doing so.

''Sit'' Peter compelled.

Allison slowly took the seat in front of her in the middle of the table. A few too many seats away for Peter's liking.

''Closer, dear'' he insisted.

She did so begrudgingly and was now sat next to Derek, whose elbows on the table and massive newspaper took up a lot of space. Allison was grateful she was only having toast.

Scott escorted Stiles down the stairs and his choice of clothing surprised everyone as much Allison's did. He was wearing a maroon jersey with the number 11 on it and BEACON HILLS written on the front. He was wearing black tracksuit bottoms and tube socks. Scott went to go cook the fry up Stiles had asked for.

Stiles sat down across from Allison next to Erica. He thought facing her would mean he would be better at reading her. But right now her face remained completely still. He was unsure whether to be proud she was keeping up an apathetic appearance or concerned he doesn't know how she really feels. (though he could hazard a guess).

Erica ruffled her fingers through his hair and boasted. ''I told you he'd look hot once he'd freshened up''.

''I thought with your wolf senses you would be able to tell I'm NOT a piece of meat'' he smirked. But it wasn't a friendly smirk, ''but clearly not''

Peter gave a small chuckle, ''Relax Stiles, she's only paying you a compliment. She doesn't want to jump your bones''.

Although she was only ribbing him, what she said was true. Stiles didn't realise it but he was actually quite a handsome young man. He had a nicely structured and thin face. His pale complexion only brought out the intense brownness of his eyes and dark hair. It was now more alive and perky than it was yesterday but then again so was Stiles himself so it was understandable. Derek briefly looked up from his newspaper to confirm for himself whether Erica was right. She was and he returned back to the sports page.

Allison also underestimated her own prettiness. She hadn't been taught to focus on that unless it could bring her advantages in hunting. She decided for herself it was not. She thought of herself as plain but that was far from the truth. They hadn't seen it yet but her smile was certainly something to behold. Stiles secretly wondered if he was ever going to see it again. An actual smile. Not a fake one to try and comfort him.

''I have to say though, the family resemblance between the two of you is uncanny. Are you sure you're not identical twins?'' Peter teased.

Stiles simply corrected him, ''You can't have identical twins with opposite genders. It's scientifically impossible''

''Actually that's not true'' Derek chimed in, still looking at his newspaper, ''It's a rare occurrence but it is possible''

Stiles scoffed, ''yeah except in the case of being genetically abnormal and in case you noticed me and my sister are perfectly healthy. Well except the big bite marks on our neck and wrists for the rest of our lives, but hey! You can't have everything!''

The conversation turned awkward. Stiles noticed that Derek was now staring at him.

''Do you know what a gift the Bite is? You will never be unhealthy for the rest of your lives. Colds, cancer, HIV they'll never affect you. And even if they do, your bodies will always be able to fight it off. Extra strength, heightened senses, higher pain threshold. You're pretty much indestructible now!''

''Yeah except mountain ash and wolfsbane'' Allison contributed, ''Or hunters. Or other werewolves. Or any other supernatural creature out there. Sure, you're absolutely untouchable''.

* * *

There was an uncomfortable silence that was quickly shattered.

''BREAKFAST!'' Scott cheered, clearly missing the atmosphere in the room as he placed Stiles' fry up in front of him.

Boyd was able to pick up on it more than Scott and placed Allison's toast in front of her, earning a quiet thanks on her part. He nodded and drew another chair next to Talia and Erica.

Stiles took a bite out of his sausage when he noticed that Scott seemed to be stood over his shoulder waiting for approval when Stiles spluttered out a ''It's good''.

Scott seemed happy and sat down next to him with his own breakfast closer than he would have liked. Stiles tried to carry on eating but Scott wanted to talk to him.

''So you're wearing my old jersey? Did you do any sports in school?''

Stiles finished his chewing and answered briefly, ''Basketball''

''We have a hoop in the drive way if you're interested in something to do after breakfast?''

Derek was now intrigued by the way the conversation was going. Scott could be so childlike and assuming at times. It was as if he expected Stiles to immediately want to be his friend. But he was grateful Stiles at least tolerated his brother's friendly nature instead of snubbing it. Which he could have easily done. It had been a long time since Scott had been friends with any one his own age. Erica and Boyd were more his age when they joined but with a new baby and more responsibilities within the pack, Scott couldn't spend as much time with them like he used to.

Stiles nodded at him, ''Maybe when my stomach's settled down''.

'''Okay!'' Scott beamed and tucked back into his breakfast.

Stiles almost couldn't believe how Scott seemed to expect everyone to be best buds but he also seemed like the most genuine person in the house. He was certainly the most cheerful. Or perhaps he was just the least aware. It was fairly obvious that Derek and Peter must be protective over him. He seemed like he hadn't lost the ability to trust people yet. Something that while it may have put him in danger, his older brother secretly hoped he would never loose.

The optimistic way he was always talking made Stiles seriously question whether this was still the same boy he saw being tortured in his basement. He tried to forget the thought and eat his food. Which was surprisingly nice.

''You can join too'' he offered to Allison.

''I'm not into sports, thanks'' She politely declined

''You could keep score?''

''Erm...''

''Go on Allison'' Peter interjected, ''The boys want to play a game. Even if you don't want to participate you could at least help by taking score''

Her fear of Peter overpowered her unwillingness to watch a boring basketball game.

''Sure. I can do that''

Scott smiled and carried on with his breakfast. He wasn't completely oblivious. He knew he should try to get to know them a little better before they would consider themselves pack. He even made a note to himself that Stiles wouldn't have adapted to his powers yet so he should go easy on him. Scott just wanted some new friends.

* * *

Author's note: Sorry if anyone thinks I made Scott a little too childlike but I always thought he was one of the more optimistic characters on the show so I tried to translate into the story as well :/


	8. Chapter 8

Stiles actually found himself having a good time playing reminded him of life before. Frankly, he'd been worried that Scott would injure him but he restrained himself. It showed more than he intended.

''I'm not made of sticks Scott. You don't have to go that easy. I don't intend to go that easy on you''.

Stiles was in the middle of dribbling and his comment gained a competitive, ''Oh really?''

He managed to get past the other boy and dunk it into the hoop.

''Really'' he smiled.

Allison's eyes were darting back and forth between the two boys she barely noticed when Derek and Peter joined her on either side.

''Who's winning?'' Peter asked.

Allison felt prideful. ''My brother''. Even if it was only a small victory, they couldn't beat them at something. Even if was only an irrelevant game of Basketball.

''Let's make things interesting then''

Before anyone could question it, Peter had told Stiles he was with Boyd and Scott was with Derek.

Boyd stood near Stiles waiting for the ball to be tossed into the centre when Stiles attempted conversation with him.

''I never caught your name''. That wasn't true but it was a conversation starter.

What Stiles didn't realise is that he and Boyd were one of the same: they kept quiet about what they knew. So Boyd was fully aware the likeliness Stiles didn't know his name was unlikely. He played along.

''Boyd''

And the ball was thrown in and they began to play, leaving Allison watching on the side-lines with Peter.

''Shame you don't play''

Peter turned to her, unfazed by her sharp tone ''Then who would keep you company?'' he pointed out.

''I suppose that's true''.

He could hear her heart increase in speed. It was clear he intimidated her. He admired her tenacious way of refusing to admit it. Yet he was an impatient man who wasn't happy she still couldn't relax. He knew things wouldn't happen overnight but even her brother had relented a little.

Something told Peter that there was a story behind his nephew's reactions towards giving Stiles the Bite. It was more than unusual and he had every intention of finding out what. For now, he enjoyed the back and forth playful nature of his interactions with Allison Argent.

Allison felt alarmed when she saw her brother nearly rip off the hoop attached to the brick wall. It was clear he was changing so quickly. His strength already surpassing that of a normal human. She was hoping the process could be delayed. It was pointless to hope for but it gave her the idea that it gave them more time. But more time is fruitless when trying to stop the inevitable, if anything making the process needlessly difficult. However, Allison was going to be damned before she accepted this as her new reality.

Her blood ran cold when her brother's eyes flashed yellow. It felt foreign. As if she was staring at a replica of her brother. Worst perhaps is that he didn't even notice. Too enthralled in playing sports with their captors to notice.

Peter noticed her lingering thought process, ''You really will have to get over these barriers you've set up''

''Barriers?'' she questioned. Wanting him to elaborate on it so she wouldn't have to.

''I'm not expecting you to love us immediately. I expect you'll fight us on this for a long time but when will you realise...'' he paused and looked at her with a certain smugness she wanted to punch out of her, ''… that you already lost?''.

Allison had nothing to say to that so she just gave him an icy glare and ran off back to the house.

Her brother shortly realised. Since he had the basketball still in his hands when he approached the alpha, the game stopped.

''What did you say to her?'' he asked accusingly

''Did I say something?''

The rest of the pack stopped still eager to see what would unfold.

''You know you did'' Stiles insisted.

Peter threw his arms up in the air, ''Whoops! My guess is that this will be where you run after her''.

Stiles didn't say anything but he just shoved the ball into Peter's chest and went to go find out what had exactly been said to upset her.

The rest of them stared at him disapprovingly but too afraid to actually vocalise their opinions.

''What?''

Derek stepped forward with his opinion, ''We're supposed to get them to like us''

Peter shrugged, ''They're pack now. Whether they like it or not, they're fucked without us and they know it so let's cut some of the bullshit''

''Don't forget we're gonna need them when the time is ready. And when that time comes around, I'd prefer it if they were on our side. Fighting with us, not against us''

Although for the most part Derek was a moody, hot head even he thought about his actions more than Peter did. Peter's attitude tended to be: ''If you don't like it, the door's over there''.

At least Derek sometimes thought about things which was pretty much most of what Boyd did.

Scott was still young so at this point he was still taking orders. He wasn't completely incapable of thinking independently, but it only came out if he felt under pressure, and the compulsion to act doesn't always inspire the best choices.

* * *

''Allison? Allison wait!''

She was already behind her bedroom door when Stiles was at the top of the stairs. He sighed and slid down at the other side.

''Sis? Just ignore whatever he said, okay? He's trying to get under your skin, take no notice'' Stiles advised.

''Easy for you to say, you're everybody's best buddy!'' she scoffed, ''You're playing games with them! What are you, fucking five years old?! Or do you have just have the world's smallest memory?''

Her berating was something he was not expecting. Their bond was the only thing that had got either of them through the past day and it was already breaking. Allison has always been fiercely independent. A well-desired quality. Apart from the face that Stiles probably needed her more than she needed him.

''It was just a game Allison. It was nice not to have a distraction. You might wanna find one soon sis. Otherwise you'll lose it''.

She listened on the other side of the door as his footsteps faded away. What the ''it'' he was referring to wasn't something she wanted to mull over.

* * *

In the next few weeks whether he had intended to or not, Stiles had fallen into some sort of routine in the Hale household. He would have breakfast, play basketball with Scott in the morning and read in the dining room. The others preferred transparency so he figured being in their eyesight might gain their trust. He didn't know exactly why he wanted their trust, if he wanted to used it for his own advantage and to escape later on. Or if he just plain wanted it. He'd heard that turned wolves quickly became desperate for approval from their fellow beta's and most importantly their alpha. He'd hoped he hadn't got to that stage yet. Not already.

Allison just stayed in her room. Only serving to make Stiles more and more concerned for her. He practically had to beg her to join them at breakfast and dinner. If she did join them, she was silent and seemed to play around with the food on the plate with her fork more than she did eating it. He thought she would look stronger after the Bite but she seemed broken. Weak. Stiles wanted nothing more than to fix her but he didn't know how. It's like she had already given up.

* * *

The others hadn't failed to notice either.

''I thought she was the one to watch. The boy I wasn't expecting much from, but her?'' Peter complained. ''I'm disappointed after everything I'd heard''.

Derek shrugged, ''Give her time'' although it was clear to almost everyone that Allison hadn't adapted to the change well.

She was always strong as a huntress. As a werewolf, she felt disgusting. Monstrous. Her entire being had been distorted into everything she had been taught to hate and consider an abomination. And now she was that abomination.

She knew how truly savage she was when she couldn't resist hunting down a white rabbit in the woods. The blood soaked white fur around the claw and bite marks. Even worse was the expression on her brother's face when he saw her: Horrified. She felt like a naughty child and shame clasped itself as tight to her as a corset.

''Stiles, I didn't mean to!'' she insisted hysterically, accidentally spitting out some of the blood as she talked.

''I know. I know''. Clearly he didn't.

She was still on her knees leaning over the dead animal. Stiles stood next to her and rested his hand on her head and she rested it on the side of her brother's hip for comfort. She definitely looked like a child now as she cried at his feet. Stiles continually hushed her and let her lean against him, hand still on caressing the back of her head lovingly.

They were unaware that Scott and Derek were watching in the forest a few feet away.

''Man. She looks like she's really struggling'' Scott observed.

''She'll adjust'' Derek told him,

Scott turned to him and Derek could tell he was about to challenge his statement by the outraged look on his face, a look he had really started to become tired with in recent years.

''How sure can you be that she will?''

Derek stared at him, matching his determination. ''What other choice does she have? She'll adapt''.

He got up from crouching and Scott blindly followed him.

''I think we should start preparing them for the full moon''

Derek was at a crossroads. He didn't want to present himself as heartless but Peter had already planned out what was to happen tomorrow night when the full moon appeared. Even if Derek didn't agree with the plan, he promised not to tell any of the others. It was for the best.

''No. They need to learn how to control it themselves''

''And how do you expect them to do that? I mean, how much training practise did we have to do with Erica and Boyd before they could do it?''

''I said NO!'' Derek growled, his eyes flashing blue. Scott backed off but it was clear he was still angry.

* * *

Stiles hadn't heard anything except a loud ''NO!'' before seeing Scott storm off in front of them, Derek following shortly afterwards.

''Hey!'' Stiles called

Derek turned around, his entire body still tense.

''What happened with you guys? Why's Scott so mad at you?''

''Mind your damn business!'' Derek sternly warned him.

He saw the sobbing mess of his sister still petting the rabbit's head like it'll somehow bring it back to life and take back what she did, triggering an annoyed response.

''For godsake you only killed a rabbit! You're so pathetic. Remember when you told us you'd kill us or that you were a threat. Where's that threat now? Get a fucking grip!'' Derek lectured.

Stiles shocked himself and everyone else there when he shoved Derek so hard, he fell backwards into a tree, hitting the back of his head with enough force to produce blood.

''Why don't you mind YOUR damn business and leave her the fuck alone?!''

If Derek wasn't in such a bad mood, he would have been impressed that Stiles had the nerve or the strength to do that. Or how his eyes shifted colour when he did.

Instead he was even more agitated and he pounced on the boy, pinning down his arms with his hands and crushing his legs under the weight of his knees. He roared in his face, so loud and so violently Stiles felt temporarily stunned, only being able to look back at him. The way his face had transformed: emotionally and physically. Deformed and almost demonic looking.

Something snapped in Allison as her claws came out instinctively. No one was going to harm her brother.

She dug them deep into Derek's shoulders, hollowing some of the flesh, and threw him off of Stiles, returning her own roar to rival Derek's as she stood in front of her brother defensively. It was a guttural roar that came from a deep, hidden place and echoed further than anyone imagined it could. It was filled with rage and dominance. A trait not seen in Allison since she had fought so fervently against them the day they came to the house.

Derek stood dumbfounded and bleeding.

Stiles got up slowly and put his hands on Allison's shoulders as he blocked her view of the other wolf.

''I'm okay. I'm here, I'm safe. You don't need to protect me anymore, Allison''.

She still grunted as his reassurance reminded her of what had hurt him in the first place. Derek

''Allison, you have to calm down. I can hear how fast your heart beating and it's scaring me''.

She stopped to notice how right Stiles was. It was still beating so intensely from the need to act so rapidly and intuitively. She also didn't like that Stiles said she was scaring him. That was the last thing she wanted.

Her claws began to retract, her eyes turned back to their normal colour and her face turned back to normal.

Derek had been left staring since she asserted some of her own dominance. He couldn't help feeling in awe of this powerful side of Allison. Mainly because there was no doubt that she really would have killed Derek if he had harmed Stiles beyond just holding him down. She hadn't let him. She stopped Derek Hale. Derek Hale. One of the most terrifying wolves out there. All due to her need to protect the only family she had left. Their relationship both strengthened and weakened them. They were each other's crutch but if anything happened to the other, it would cripple them.

Their relationship reminded him of his own with Scott. The way they clung to each other like they were all they had left. It was so similar it felt like a punch to the stomach. Maybe the hunters weren't as bad as they thought. Derek knew of Stiles kindness and compassion from the moment they met. It was pretty obvious when he did something not one in a thousand hunters would do. Yet he did. He was open minded enough to consider viewpoints outside his family's, something difficult to achieve in a household like that.

Allison he couldn't tell. The only goodness he saw in her was how much she cared for Stiles. It's clear she would die for him and kill for him. Maybe he was all she lived **for** any more.

* * *

Erica, Peter, Scott and Boyd all became startled in the house when they all heard the noise Allison bellowed back at Derek.

''What the hell was that?'' Erica questioned.

Peter was unfamiliar with the sound. He was also unfamiliar with the feeling of not being completely knowledgeable of everything.

''I think who was that is more the question'' Scott answered, just as fazed.

''Is it Matthew's pack?''

They all fell silent until Peter stood up. ''Matthew or any of his pack would never cross our territory. NO-ONE would. They wouldn't dare''

''Not even hunters?''

''That didn't sound human to me''.

Their answers were clearly going to become more cryptic when Allison, Derek and Stiles came walking through the entrance.

Derek was bleeding from his shoulders and the back of his head. The wound had healed but there was still a sore stiffness.

Allison had dried blood around and inside her mother as well as the fresh blood left behind by Derek as her claws had sunk past his skin.

Stiles just looked weary and tired.

All three of them were silent.

Everyone else was too until Erica barraged them with questions.

''What the hell happened to you three?''

Allison just remarked that she was going to get a shower, leaving the focus on Derek and Stiles.

Derek turned to Stiles but he shrugged.

''I'm gonna go get changed. I have rabbit blood and dried leaves stuck to my clothes so I'll leave them in the laundry hamper for you''.

Derek was left alone to handle the fallout.

''Are you gonna tell us or what?''

Derek flopped down on the sofa until Erica battered him away. ''You're not getting blood on the sofa, I just cleaned it''. Derek gave a weak laugh at Erica's messed up priorities but then again, blood was commonly spilt in this lifestyle.

* * *

As Derek relayed the story to them all, he scanned everyone's reactions: a mix of impressed and surprised. The broken girl suddenly showing she was still alive and kicking.

''Did she fully wolf out?'' Scott asked

''Almost. I really wasn't expecting it''.

Peter smirked, ''Seems there's something there after all''

''She only acts when her brother is concerned. Beyond that she doesn't seem to care''

''Well of course, he's the only thing that anchors her back to her humanity. Back to the past and to her family''

Everyone stared at Scott. It was certainly a more observant remark than commentary from Scott was typically expected to be.

''This is good'' Boyd contributed

Derek felt at a loss for words, ''In case you didn't see my shoulder I don't think it is''

''She has a weakness. We manipulate that''

Derek and Scott looked at each other nervously. They didn't like where this was going.

''We're not hurting Stiles''

Peter looked at them oddly, especially after seeing Derek agree with his brother.

''Is there something I don't know? Because you two seem to care a lot about this boy''

They looked at each other before Scott prepared to tell his uncle the story. There was no need to hide it.

''Uncle Pete, you know how we were released by a boy? When we were-'' he paused. It was never an easy time to look back on. He knew he didn't have to finish it and that no-one would push him to, ''-Stiles was that boy''.

Peter leaned back and looked completely mind-blown by the revelation. Erica and Boyd seemed just as surprised.

''So when he said _I showed you mercy_ , he meant back then? What he did for you two then?''

They nodded.

Peter laughed, ''And you bit him anyway. You are heartless Derek Hale!''

Derek felt outraged, ''You told me to!''

Peter wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye and sighed, ''I suppose but jeez! It does explain a lot!''

Derek just looked at his brother. He was done with Peter's childish reactions.

Scott seemed deep in thought again and his brother didn't like that. It meant he was probably thinking about what happened in that basement. Where and what they would be now if Stiles hadn't pitied them enough to act.


	9. Chapter 9

He heard a knock on his bedroom door and saw as Peter let himself in.

''There's no point knocking then letting yourself in anyway. It kinda defeats the purpose'' Stiles remarked.

Peter just nodded and shut it behind him.

 _Okay, this is really weird_ , Stiles thought to himself.

''Derek and Scott told me what you did''

''What I did?!'' he repeated back at him outraged. 'It was Derek that full on pounced at me!'' Although he had technically pushed him first.

Peter remained calm. ''Not that''

Stiles was more confused than ever, ''Then what?''

''What you did in your parent's basement. Releasing them''

Stiles wondered why Peter was only starting to know now. Then again why would they even tell him? It's not like it made much of a difference.

He responded with a simple, ''Oh'' not really knowing what he should say to that.

He was certainly taken aback when he felt Peter hug him. Something completely out of character for this cold man.

''Thank you'' he whispered in his ear humbly.

Stiles returned the hug. This was the most sincere he had ever seen Peter act since they met. He almost seemed... human. He tapped the alpha's shoulder to indicate that he wanted the hug to end and to his surprise, Peter let go.

''They're all the family I have left and they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for what you did''

Stiles just stood there still at how unbelievable and bizarre this man seemed in comparison to the arragont alpha he's come to know.

''I did what any decent human being would do''

''which a hunter isn't''

Stiles opened his mouth to defend his family but given the facts, he struggled to disagree with it. After all they did start the fire and captured the survivors simply to torture them. Even bragging about it afterwards. But then he remembered Peter's lack of mercy when he forced Derek to turn him.

Stiles shrugged, ''No good deed goes unpunished''.

The last statement cut through Peter. He knew that turning the Argent twins would ruin their lives but he didn't care. They were collateral damage. Until he realised Stiles was owed so much more than that. Peter decided he was worth keeping.

''I'm almost sorry I turned you''

He saw the look of shock in those brown eyes staring back at him.

''Almost'' Peter reinforced.

Peter left hurriedly like he was suddenly embarrassed. Stiles was stood there frozen for a good solid minute until he shut his door and slumped on the bed.

He was left absolutely blindsided by Peter's gratitude. What was that? It was the only real goodness he had seen in the alpha so far. And he was sorry he turned him? Almost? He found life much simpler when he was convinced Peter was the bad guy. But he couldn't deny that there was good in Peter. Even if it was only small, it presented itself clearly when it came to his concern for him pack, especially his nephews.

In fact all of the pack seemed like good people.

Erica was slightly too flirty for Stiles' liking but he realised it was simply her nature and there was no real seriousness to it. The one thing she did take seriously was the welfare of her pack and her family. Sometimes it was difficult to comprehend how she could slip so easily between being immature to being a doting mother and mate.

Boyd kept to himself, Stiles had learnt that rather quickly but in that respect they had that in common. There seemed no harm in him yet something about the way he was hard to read had Stiles feeling distrustful towards him.

Stiles nearly considered Scott a friend. He was always cheerful and so trusting of everything. Stiles could slip into a relaxed conversation with him easily. Being around Scott distracted him because they could talk about mindless topics and still feel very comfortable in each other's company. They had talked about school, old friends even TV shows or games they liked. He made him feel like a normal teenager (even if he was in his final year of teenhood). It was nice.

Derek was... different. Like Boyd, he hadn't had much interaction with him. His obvious traits was the protective older brother and the big bad wolf. Beyond that he knew nothing. He didn't know what he liked, what he disliked. Favourite music. Even his star sign! Yet he knew all of that about Scott. Stiles concluded that the reason being that Derek was the kind of man who always seemed on edge. Always alert. Always prepared. Like his mind couldn't switch off to possible danger long enough just to enjoy the small things in life.

Since Stiles knew nothing about him, Derek became an enigma that Stiles was dying to uncover. He only seemed more interesting the more mysterious he seemed. Stiles has always had a curious mind and an observant eye which meant he was perfect at reading people. But trying to read Derek was like a whole different language. His expressions were either overly exaggerated or as lifeless and cold as a dead fish.

* * *

The next morning whilst he was reading in the dining room, Stiles couldn't stop fidgeting. He knew that in a few hours it would be the full moon. His first shift. He hadn't turned at all. Not even slightly. He'd felt short bursts of unbelievable strength every now and then. Heard a conversation from upstairs he never would have been able to without his new hearing. What he saw of Allison's brief turning yesterday had scared him. What if he became like that? And what he saw of Allison was only brief. Imagining himself in full form was terrifying. That's why he decided to read up on the lore books they had on the shelves to see if anything would held. Surely their information is bound to be more accurate than the books he'd read at home?

He skimmed through the first chapter of the book. It was on mating and Stiles found it interesting but he knew that it wasn't necessary to learn about that right now. Shifting was.

When he'd found the pages he was looking for, it wasn't exactly encouraging. The book talked about how painful it could be as your entire body contorted and your bones shaped and twisted as you became the werewolf. The sharpening of teeth and claws as they retracted. The urgent need to release the built up tensions any way you could: sexually or violently.

When he looked up from his book briefly he nearly jumped out of his skin as he realised Derek had been watching him. Stiles tried to hide his surprise but he guessed he hadn't done it well.

He hadn't.

''Hey'' Stiles greeted.

Derek nodded in response. Stiles could have sworn the guy was mute at times.

''You gonna sit?''

Stiles had no idea what compelled him to ask Derek to stay. He put it down to his itching need to solve the puzzle that was Derek Hale.

Derek sat.

It was silent until Derek asked him what he was reading.

''I'm trying to learn about shifting since it's the full moon tonight and none of you have tried to prepare me''.

Derek shrugged, ''It's not hard''. He leaned on his elbows more forward to face him. ''Besides I thought you knew a lot about us so I figured you'd already been knowledgeable enough''

Stiles scoffed and laughed, ''I'm sure there's plenty I still need to learn. Especially now that I am no longer just observing but will actually experience what I have always read about''

''I never got to ask why'' Derek began, ''Why'd you know so much about us?''

Stiles could have given the really complicated answer but he went with the simple one. ''I used to read a lot of the old books my parent's had about you guys''

Derek laughed, ''I'm sure it was all bad then?''

Stiles froze a little. Derek wasn't far from the truth. The words ''Monster'' and ''inhuman'' often appeared in the texts.

''Not particularly it's just that its focus was more on what would help them-''

''Kill us?'' Derek interrupted.

Stiles nodded.

''Does your sister know as much about us as you do?''

Allison was ignorant of a lot of things about werewolves. Which was always a shame because Stiles always tried to get her as interested about them as he was. She just wanted them dead, she didn't want to learn more about them because it only got in the way.

''No. She never read any of the books. She preferred to stick to what she thought was the needed criteria. Like your healing abilities, aversion to wolfsbane and mountain ash and of course, how strong you are''

Derek was hesitant but he felt like he needed to know, ''Had either of you killed a werewolf before you came here?''

Stiles bit his lip but proceeded to answer. ''I've never killed a werewolf before. Or anything for that matter. My sister... I'm not sure. She was always way more into this than me and dad always insisted it was best to _start them young_ , so I-I...'' he sighed, ''I hope not''

Derek was interested to know how his parents treated their own kids. He knew how they treated his kind but he wanted to know how they treated their own kind. If they could be nice people to someone who wasn't a werewolf. It was a weird thought that he wanted answered.

''How were your parents growing up?''

Stiles had to think. They weren't... cruel but they grew less loving as he got older. They always gave Allison more praise and attention. He remember when they were taken hunting once when they were eleven. His father gave him a rifle and told him to shoot a deer. Stiles put his finger on the trigger, he knew how to handle a gun even if he'd never fired it at anything living. He couldn't do it. The animal looked so peaceful. He had no quarell with it. It wasn't doing anything wrong. Allison just groaned, ''I'll do it'' before taking the rifle and shooting it without a second thought. Stiles was horrified but his father cheered, ''That's my girl!'' before the two of them went to inspect their prey.

''They were... okay'' Stiles answered.

''Just okay?'' Derek questioned.

Stiles shrugged. ''I dunno. I just... I never got the same affection as Allison did. At times I felt like the black sheep. While they were out hunting deers or rabbits or whatever I would stay at home and read. When I started reading about lycanthropy my parents finally seemed to think that I wasn't a total disappointment to them and that I might actually get into hunting'' Stiles looked down at his hands and muttered, ''I let them down again''.

Derek couldn't say he could empathise with Stiles completely. Although he knew how much pressure can be put on yourself when you're trying not to disappoint your family, Derek can never say his family weren't loving. He'd had a big family once. He had two other sisters, his parents and countless cousins he grew up around. The house was always lively and he was never alone. One of the hardest parts of the fire wa adjusting to a quiet house. Something he had never been familiar with.

When he was snapped out of his thoughts he realised it was his turn to speak.

''I can't imagine you being a disappointment to anyone'' Derek assured him.

Derek couldn't help but notice the way Stiles repressed a smile after he said that. Like he wasn't used to compliments. He gave him a quiet, ''Thank you''


	10. Chapter 10

Derek waited nervously. His uncle wanted them to meet privately so it was no doubt about the plan for the Argent twins during the full moon. One he still wishes he'd reconsider.

Peter showed up.

''You wanted to talk to me?'' Derek opened with.

Peter had thought long and hard about this. He definitely wanted Stiles in the pack. Allison had lost his interest. She had slightly impressed him with her growling match with Derek the other day but it wasn't enough. It only happened because of her concern for Stiles and if she could only do that when her brother was hurt then she would never be able to defend herself or the rest of the pack. The pack she had yet to show loyalty to.

''About the plan tonight... Stiles isn't going to be involved''

Peter watched as Derek's face being distorted with bemusement. He found it rather annoying actually.

''I- I don't understand''

Peter sighed, ''After careful consideration I realised that Stiles would be a valuable member of the pack. It would be stupid to get rid of the boy''

Derek had his suspicions, ''And this isn't because of what we told you yesterday?''

In all truthfulness it was. It made Peter view Stiles entirely differently. The boy had spirit and defiance but he never thought he would be capable of disobeying his parents, especially for the sake of werewolves. He had it in him to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. Although Peter questioned whether that meant he would be obedient or a handful.

''The Argent girl is still part of the plan'' he diverted.

Derek nodded. ''Is that it?''

''That is all'' and he dismissed his nephew with a simple hand gesture. Something he did not appreciate whatsoever but it was such a minor thing it didn't seem worth challenging.

* * *

As the evening dragged on, Allison could feel something. Something inside of her twisting and changing. She was only somewhat aware of what was happening to her. The shift. Her first one. She had no idea what to expect. At times like this she wished that she'd paid attention to when Stiles would babble on about the wonders of werewolf nature.

She had stayed in her room all day waiting for it to happen. Now that it was the evening and nearly nightfall, she grew more and more panicked. But she still wouldn't leave her room. Just in case she did something she regretted. She'd never forgive herself.

She came out of her room, sitting at the top of the stairs and cried.

She felt her brother's arm wrap around her shoulder and she cried into his chest.

''I know. I know'' he hushed

But wait... This wasn't her brother's voice... it was-

''PETER!'' She shouted, jumping back from him. She wiped her tears away roughly with the back of her hand, ''What in the hell do you think you're doing?''

''Comforting one of my beta's, of course''

''Well don't. I don't want you anywhere near me!'' she paused, ''You're the cause of all this''

''Then why are you still here?''

Allison wasn't really sure. ''I thought freedom wasn't an option''

Peter stood up and guided her to the door with his hand. She hated the contact but she let it happen. It seemed like he was doing something important.

They stood at the front door.

''I'm going to make you a deal this one time. If you don't choose it then you'll never get another like it. Understanding me so far?''

She nodded.

''You can leave''

His words shocked her but she knew there had to be more.

''But?'' she asked

''You have to leave your brother behind. No goodbyes, no explanations. You just go''

Allison froze. She wanted her freedom. Desperately. Here it was offered to her on a plate, if she could leave her brother alone with them. She didn't trust them but not as much as she didn't trust herself. All she wanted was to go home. Go to her parents and have them tell her they could fix her. Make her better. Or even just kill her painlessly if there was no other option.

''Would you hurt him?''

Peter shook his head, ''No. He'd be one of us. I think he's close but...'' he paused, ''...you being here is the only thing that's stopping him. If you left he could fit in. Lead a somewhat normal life. We would never hurt him''

Allison thought he sounded sincere, although Peter for the most part was sarcastic and distant. Something was telling her she could trust him with her brother and that they would look after him. But would it be right to leave him? Especially without explanation. Peter would probably make it seem like she'd abandoned him. Make him hate her. Yet if it meant he was safe, she could probably live with the fact that her own brother couldn't stand her anymore.

''Can't I say goodbye?''

''No. This is the way you have to go'' and he opened the door.

Allison looked out feeling the need to flee. To run. But the thought of Stiles anchored her to the spot. She looked at Peter and as if he was reading her mind, he reassured her.

''He'd be safe with us. Happy even... if you only let him''

The guilty feeling ran over her with Peter's words echoing in her head.

 _If you only let him._

She was more than aware she was a liability to Stiles now. That he had to take care of her. A role reversal she'd never expected. Growing up, she was the one who defended Stiles. From bullies, from other hunters even her own parents wore him down at times. But she fought in his corner for him. Every single time. Now here he was keeping her head above water. She didn't like being dependent but being dependent on her brother was even worse. The one person she always had to protect was now her only source of comfort.

She hadn't failed to notice that Stiles had relented over the past few weeks. Even falling into a weird friendship with Scott. Playing make-believe with Talia as Erica watched and laughed. He really was starting to become a member of the pack. It hurt her when she realised that he was closer to their captors than he ever was their own family. The other werewolves had taken to Stiles so quickly it could have made Allison jealous, if she didn't hate these horrific things for what they were.

In High school, Stiles often tagged along with Allison and her friends. They always labelled him the ''tag-a-long'' but she refused to let him be alone. He wasn't a horrible boy but he was painfully shy that it was difficult for him to make friends. So he put an act. The class clown and people started to like him. But she knew it was all a cover to hide how he really felt: alone.

Since Scott was so persistent, Stiles didn't really have much of an option to not be friends. But he grew on him and it no longer was about being polite as he actually learnt he enjoy his company. Allison just wished Scott wasn't a werewolf. Their kinds were neve supposed to mix yet Stiles soon became attached to this little group of misfits.

He would miss her undoubtedly but for how long? She couldn't imagine him never moving on from it. He would be welcome here in a way she never would. Mainly because she wouldn't allow herself.

* * *

She gave in.

She ran out of the door and forced herself to keep going forward. To not look back because if she did she only imagined seeing the hurt and confusion in her brother's eyes as he saw her running away.

After she was deep into the forest she leaned her head against a tree.

''I'm sorry Stiles'' She whispered.

The sound of a stick broken under someone's foot awakened her from her pitiful daze. She saw red eyes glowing in the dark across from her. Retracted claws illuminated by the moonlight. She could feel herself turn.

''Let's get this over with!'' and she leapt on the dark figure, preparing for the fight.


	11. Chapter 11

''Did she take the offer?''

Peter scoffed, ''What do you think? Of course she did. She leaped at the idea'', Peter laughed ''Then leaped out the door''.

''Hm'' Derek scowled.

''What do you mean, 'hm'?''

Derek rubbed the back of his neck, ''I dunno. I just thought that she would've shown more loyalty to her brother, is all''.

Derek had always seen the way the two looked after each other. It reminded him of Laura and Cora at how protective Stiles was over his sister. Scott used to be the same. Even if he was only a little older than Laura and more than five years younger than Cora, he still used to act like their big brother. It was quite sweet actually. The memories often gave Derek a sinking feeling he couldn't describe so he tried not to think about them. Scott had learnt quickly that even saying their names could bring Derek into a flying rage.

''She's a huntress to the core, Derek. If she wasn't turned as well, she probably would have killed him a long time ago''

It was a harsh but bitter truth. Allison was loyal to hunting werewolves above all else. There had been stories amongst hunters of having to kill their own after being turned. Isaac Lahey's mother had to be killed after she was turned. His father was the one who had to do it. Stiles had always felt sorry for Isaac. He was pretty much the only one out of Allison's friends that was actually nice to him. If he had to call him anything, he wouldn't be reluctant to call him his only friend.

''I suppose'' Derek simply muttered.

* * *

When they told him his sister had left, Stiles sank back down onto his chair.

''Gone?''

''We can't find her anywhere. We think she just ran out of the door''

''How? Don't you guys lock it?''

Stiles knew they did because they didn't seem to trust Allison and Stiles not to run away. But how could she have escaped? And more importantly, why didn't she take him with her? He wasn't sure what to think. He assumed the only thing he could: they were either lying or they weren't telling him the whole truth. There was no point trying to see if they were lying. Their heartbeats were always steady. Except Derek's. He could hear it beat just that little bit faster. Peter's was normal. So what did that mean? That whatever Derek said was a lie and Peter was the one telling the truth? Stiles already knew that was unlikely. He went along with it trying to act like the hurt brother which was how he honestly felt but he wanted to push it down. Just in case there was more to why Allison had left. Or if she'd even chose to leave.

''We did. She had stolen the key off us''

''Really?'' Stiles questioned, ''She stole the key, that you keep on you at all times? You, who can smell a predator or another werewolf from up to thirty miles away, was deceived by a girl whose only been a werewolf for three weeks compared to you two, who have been werewolves your entire lives. That's what you're telling me?''

For once they didn't appreciate how smart Stiles was.

''Your sister's smarter than she looks. Besides I think she had my nephew.. A little distracted'' Peter lied.

Derek's eye grew wide. He was not expecting his uncle to say that. But his embarrassed look only seemed to confirm his statement.

Stiles was confused until he realised what they were hinting at, ''Oh'' he paused and the image flickered in his mind of Allison dropping to her knees, Derek throwing his head back while she sucked on him. It gave Stiles a sick feeling to say the least, ''Ew!''

But he couldn't smell Allison on him. At all. Wouldn't he smell like her? Even a little if she ''distracted'' him. In the book it said it was dependent on how extreme the ''distraction'' was and how long it lasted.

''How?'' Stiles asked. Not really wanting to but feeling he had to know.

Derek cocked his eyebrow, ''You really wanna know?''

Stiles couldn't shake off his disgust. ''No actually. I changed my mind''.

He wanted to know why he didn't smell like his sister at all if she supposedly did something to him. Stiles was grateful that he could come to the conclusion that it was a lie. Yet the thought still angered him and he wasn't sure why. He chalked it up to Allison being his sister. Yeah, that's what it was...

''Good'' he replied blankly and practically stormed off with Stiles left alone with Peter. He tried to carry on the book he was reading but Peter pulled it from him and put it back on the shelf.

''I was reading that'' Stiles protested.

''And now you're not because you have more important things to be worrying about''

Stiles nodded in understanding, ''The Shift''

Peter made a signal towards Stiles, ''Follow me''.

Stiles got up and let Peter lead him away from the dining table and down to the basement. Stiles felt uneasy when he saw chains attached to the wall and Scott and everyone else waiting for him there.

* * *

Stiles stopped dead halfway down the stairs causing Peter to nearly stumble into him.

''Erm.. Peter, what's going on?''

''Your first Shift is going to require a lot of strength from you. More concentration than you probably have ever needed. And chains are going to be needed too so that you don't go into a murderous rampage and try to kill us all'' Peter added so casually.

Stiles went further down the stairs and actually looked at the shackles that were going to contain him and noticed the bolts inside that would be twisted into his skin to keep him in place. It made him shudder.

''Are those things going into my skin?!'' Stiles' voice cracked.

''We need to make sure you can't just rip them off'' Derek informed him. Again, he was terrible at reassurance and Scott interjected.

''It's okay. It's going to hurt like hell but it won't cause any lasting damage''

Scott's serious tone was unfamiliar and perhaps one of the more startling elements of the situation.

He put his hand on Stiles' shoulder, ''I'll be with you the entire time. I promise I won't leave you''

''I guess that already makes you better than Allison then'' Stiles remarked bitterly. He hadn't meant to. He tried to combat the feeling that she'd abandoned him since he wasn't sure she had really chosen to leave him but it was difficult. Their entire lives Stiles felt like he'd been holding his twin sister back. Maybe she finally got fed up of him and left.

Stiles didn't fail to notice the little strain in Scott's heart when Allison's name was mentioned. He wasn't too surprised, it was more of a confirmation of what he already knew.

He did however failed to notice the slight smirk on Peter's face at the remark. He was pleased that Stiles was already starting to resent his sister, pushing him further into the pack.

Stiles got in the position of his back against the brick wall and place his hands and feet into the correct shackles. He could feel the bolts scrape against his skin and they hadn't even entered his skin yet. Scott and Derek had their hands readying over the bolts on the shackle around his wrist.

''Ready?''

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes tight in preparation. Though it made little difference.

The bolts were grinding hard into his wrists, crunching against bone and flesh in an excoriatingly slow and arduous manner. Stiles couldn't suppress the screams that were coming out of his mouth. He could barely hear the reassurances Scott was trying to give him.

''This wrist is done'' Derek declared and allowed Stiles to pant to regain some of the air he just lost from screaming. He was panting and wheezing so hard he could barely breath. He'd shut his eyes so hard it made his head ache and throb. He felt the blood from his newly pierced veins run down his forearm and drip off of his elbow down to the floor. He felt broken and they were far from finished.

Everyone looked around at each other. They knew it was necessary but it was hard to watch. Especially as they all felt attached to him now.

Scott regarded him as his best friend, a feeling he'd not had for such a long time he almost forgot what it felt like.

Boyd and Erica were happy with the way he seemed to make time for their daughter and treat her with the affection of an older brother. He was courteous enough and so funny that they felt at ease to leave Talia around him. Which is quite the achievement given that mother wolves would devour any threat she perceived to her pups.

Peter admired the kid's guts and his strong sense of determination. Unlike his sister, he was willing and even happy to adapt to life as a pack member. He didn't complain much and he appeared to have no malice about him.

Derek felt a fondness for Stiles too. It felt a lot like obligation though. He felt the need to protect him and look after him. He still felt guilty as he watched Stiles going through all of this knowing that if he hadn't have gone along with his uncle's plan to kidnap and turn him, he would have been living a normal life worrying about his college assignments and what party he was going to go to on a Saturday night. Not stuck in some basement having to tolerate a tortuous amount of pain and worry about whether he'd kill someone during his first full moon.

* * *

''Ready?'' They asked him again.

He could barely pant out, ''Just do it''.

It carried on like that for several minutes. The process of putting on the shackles, Stiles screaming and writhing in agony as Scott and Derek tightened the bolts into his wrists and ankles, blood streaming from the newly inflected wounds.

Finally they were done and Stiles couldn't do anything except stare down at the floor. He was in a sore daze without the ability to think or speak. His throat was hoarse from all of the yelling and shrieks, his voice cracking again and again as the rising agony broke it down to nothing more than weak and pathetic whimpers.

Everyone was concerned and when they called out his name, the only response he could give was to briefly look up at them all. He looked as beaten and broken as an old rag doll.

Erica and Boyd went upstairs, leaving him alone with Scott, Peter and Derek.

''I'm gonna go get him some water'' Derek said and glanced over Stiles' body, ''He looks like he needs it''

Derek got halfway up the stairs when Scott decided it was the perfect time to question his brother.

* * *

Derek was filling up a water bottle at the sink when he saw Scott come up the stairs. His expression was screwed in a questioning way that let Derek know something was on his brothers' mind.

''Scott. Get out of the way''

Scott shook his head adamantly, ''You need to answer me cause I've been thinking about this for hours now and I can't figure it out''

Derek decided to play it causual. ''And what is that?''

''Why are we helping Stiles? Didn't you say earlier that they had to do it on their own?''

Derek was at a loss what to say. He couldn't tell him what Peter had planned as Scott might be able to stop it in time. ''Well... we realised that we were being too harsh''

''No, no, you said that they needed to learn how to do it on their own. YOU said she'd adjust'' he paused, ''But how could she? How could anyone do that alone? Except...'' his expression turned to one of hesitant realisation, ''...you didn't want her to, did you? Is that why she's gone?''

Derek couldn't let Scott get too close to the truth.

''Scott... you don't question the decisions of your alpha'', he warned. Peter was family but his position as Alpha always came first and foremost.

''So it was a decision?! He wanted Allison gone?''

Derek grunted, ''Dammit Scott! What did I just say?''

Scott just nodded slowly and quietly. Derek could tell he had upset him.

''You basically said me that you and Peter don't trust me... good to know''.

* * *

Stiles could feel the transition happening. The energy and power inside of him increasing gradually, getting more and more intense. Even his body started to feel differently. His senses were heightened to an almost unbearable amount as it all overwhelmed him and he felt like all he could do was yell to keep it out. But he held it in. Then unintentionally, he picked up the conversation between Scott and his brother. All of it.

Stiles knew there had to be something odd about his sister leaving. Why would Peter want his sister to leave after all of the trouble he went through to get them here and try to make them a part of his pack? All Allison would do is go straight to their parents. Why would he want that?

Maybe he wants her dead Stiles mulled. Then he shook his head at the thought. If he wanted Allison dead, he could have done it the night they took them. What difference would it make if his parents had to be the ones to do it? Either way the hunters would definitely come after the Hale pack.

He tried to think harder. Comb his brain for all of the things he knew about werewolves. He started at the beginning with the initiation for a turned werewolf. There was the Bite and the scenting but that was it. Nothing else.

 _Maybe natural born werewolves have something else to do with initiation into a pack that Allison would have to_

His mind flashed and his heart stopped.

 _Killing their old pack to show loyalty to the new one._

And what's the closest thing to pack than your own family.

 _But why would this apply to Allison? She's not a born wolf._

She showed the most resistance... _meaning she has more need to prove her loyalty_.

The books he had studied often said that whether they wanted to or not, on a subconscious level they would feel a new devotion to their pack.

She hadn't sneaked passed them, they let her go so that she would go back to the Argents and kill them.

Stiles scoffed to himself. It was so perfect. They wouldn't have to lift a finger and a bloodbath of destruction would be left behind in the wake of Allison's first shift. An entire family of the country's most prominent hunters killed in a single night.

He had to fight back the tears. They were probably already dead. His entire family gone in an instant... all because he was still the useless son who couldn't figure out the Hale's plans in time.

Stiles decided to get his revenge on them. It was impulsive and stupid but he needed to win against them. Even if it was only for tonight. He saw Scott and Derek come down the stairs. His anger was causing him to begin shifting and he started writhing in pain as the transformation began. Bones began to deform in his face and convulse into the monstrous lycanthropic appearance he was unfamiliar with. His teeth stuck out of his mouth and hair grew on his face. His eyes flashed yellow.

He began to laugh at the reactions of surprise from the others as they saw him like this for the first time. Stiles didn't care anymore. He had no reason to, giving him the freedom to say as he pleased since there were no longer any consequences that would matter now that his entire family was dead at their hands.

''What's wrong? Am I not pretty anymore?'' Stiles joked.

He focused his attention on Scott. ''Do you really want to know how Allison escaped Scott? Hm? Ask your brother. I'm sure he'll stutter over telling you the truth''

Scott looked at Derek and all he could do was stare back as equally confused.

''Derek, what does he mean by that?''

''Yeah Derek!'' Stiles hollered, ''Tell him about the part where she sucked your dick to get the key off of you!''

Scott recoiled in horror and Derek just looked at the devilish grin on Stiles' face and the betrayed look on Scott's face. Peter was unsure where this was going so he stayed halted to the spot.

All Scott could utter was an outraged, ''What?!''

The stares between them ensued so Stiles decided to stir it further.

''What I especially love is that he told you to stay away from her yet he used her to get exactly what he wanted from her'' Then he directed his comment at Derek, ''Didn't you Derek? You used my sister like a fucking whore!''

Derek was furious at Stiles who seemed to take far too much pleasure in using Scott to hurt him.

Peter watched Stiles' manipulative nature come to surface and was completely mesmerised by it.

''Scott... that's not what happened'' Derek tried to reassure.

When Scott failed to say anything, Stiles laughed and cocked his head to the side, ''Really, Derek? So are you calling your Alpha a liar? Tsk Tsk, very naughty indeed''

Scott shook his head at Derek, ''I can't believe you! You think you have the right to lecture ANYONE on romance when your last one resulted in all of our family dying?!''

The room fell silent. Derek looked as if he could punch Scott or start crying. Scott was the exact same. All of the tensions in the room even silenced Stiles' newfound cheekiness.

''What romance?'' he dared to ask.

Scott pointed at Derek and shouted, ''His!'' Scott came face to face with Stiles. He could see the other boy's eyes flashing with a deep and unforgiving orange, ''With your fucking bitch of an aunt! They were fucking and he brought her back to our house! She came back and burnt it to the fucking ground!''

He turned back around to Derek and started to yell out the names of those they'd lost, ''Mom, dad, Cora, Laura, they're all dead! Our cousins, our friends, our family all dead! And it's all because of YOU!''

Scott had been able to stop himself from shifting but the rage he felt possessed him and pounced himself on top of his brother. He clawed at his chest and his face. Slashing and bruising his older brother who threw his brother against the wall and growled at him.

Scott recovered and howled back at him until Peter stood in-between them and commanded, ''ENOUGH!''.

They were both silenced under their alpha's orders. Stiles' was both impressed and fascinated by the reddening eyes of Peter. But the change died down and everyone returned to their normal state.

Peter put his hand on Scott's shoulders.

''I lied. Derek didn't touch Allison'' He sighed and hesitantly told him the next part, ''I let her go''

Stiles was heartbroken. So she had left him. No she couldn't have.

''Let her? No, you forced her to go!'' he challenged.

Peter walked up to Stiles. ''No. I didn't. I told her she could leave but that she would have to leave you behind. And she did''.

Stiles shook his head and spat in Peter's face, ''YOU'RE LYING!'' he nearly sobbed out, ''She wouldn't leave me''

Peter began to pity Stiles now. More than he did before. His admiration of the young boy was weaning.

''She did, Stiles''

Scott stood there more confused than before, ''So why did you let her go?''

Stiles interrupted Peter before he could answer it. ''They let her go because they knew she'd run home. They knew she wouldn't be able to control herself and that she'd kill our parents''

Peter was astonished that Stiles had been able to figure this out. Even more so with the way he was relentlessly returning his stares, devoid of any emotions beyond hate and passion.

''Correct me if I'm wrong'' he added.

Scott's eyes darted back and forth between Peter and Stiles, searching for confirmation from either side.

''You're not wrong Stiles''. He walked forward so he was facing Stiles. ''Initially, I was going to let you go too''

''Then why didn't you?'' Stiles grimaced.

''I saw potential in you Stiles. You're smart, resourceful and loyal-''

''I'll never be loyal to you!'' He interupted

Peter scoffed, ''You don't have anywhere else left to go'' painfully reminding him that his entire family were now dead. He really did have no one and no where he belonged anymore. He started to feel like he belonged here but after tonight, regaining that feeling seemed virtually impossible.

The alpha walked up to the top of the stairs and pointed to Derek and Scott.

''You two can guard him as punishment. I catch you two fighting again I swear to god I'll kill you both''.

Peter left and both of the brothers stared at each other then back at Stiles.

Derek sighed, ''This is gonna be a long night''


	12. Chapter 12

When Allison woke up she tried to remember what had happened. She had left the house, _left Stiles_ , and the last thing she remembered was seeing red eyes in the dark. _Could they have been Peter's?_

Then she saw those red eyes get up from a chair across the room and greeted her with an emotionless ''You're awake'' though it was more a statement of facts than a greeting.

''Where am I?'' she asked.

She noticed the voice and the eyes belonged to a young man her age. He had chestnut hair and was a fairly tall and slim build. She couldn't help but wonder how a kid like him could become an alpha.

''Beacon Hills''

She huffed, ''I know that but where in Beacon Hills?''

It was a simple place. Dark wooden floors and peeling wall paper. It looked like a haunted house out of a bad horror movie. Then again it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to presume she was in one of said horror movies. Werewolves were hardly fairy tale story material.

He shrugged, ''You're in the House of the Artemists''

''Artemists? What the heck does that mean?''

The man looked almost insulted she didn't know but gave a haughty scoff, ''You clearly never learnt about the origin stories, did you?''

She shook her head, ''Never needed to''

He smiled, ''Of course you didn't. You weren't a born werewolf. I could tell by the bite mark on your wrist''

She looked down at her injury self-consciously and murmured, ''I hate it''. It was more to herself than it was the alpha in front of her.

''You didn't want to be a werewolf did you? You were perfectly content living your life as a hunter''

She seemed thrown off by his words. How did he know all of this about her?

''Who are you?''

He sat down on the edge of the bed and introduced himself. ''Matthew Daehler. But please call me Matt''.

Matt's tone was friendly, she felt like she could trust him but she wasn't entirely sure why. And she certainly wasn't going to take any chances so she restrained in warming up to him straight away.

''You already know my name I'm guessing?''

He smiled. ''Allison Argent''.

All she could do was stare at him. His eyes were magnetising, she couldn't look away even as he cautiously began to stroke her cheek gently with his hand. Surprising even herself she leaned into the touch and welcomed it. He felt warm and gentle. She had started to become mesmerised with the young wolf in the way she never could like the Hales wanted her to.

''I can cure you'' he promised her.

Her heart hitched in her chest. Could there be hope? Actual reliable hope? Perhaps her brother was wrong after all, he was human too. He wouldn't know as much about werewolf lore as an actual werewolf, an alpha at that. The Hales definitely would have kept a cure hidden from them. Perhaps there was a way. Perhaps she could be free of this curse.

''How? I'll do anything!'' She declared

He withdrew his hand, ''I know you will''.

She came closer to him, ''What do I have to do?''

He drew in closer, his lips near her ears and whispered, ''You need to kill the one who bit you''.

* * *

Matt sat back and read Allison's expressions. As expected she snapped back instantly and accepted what he told her, '''Okay. I'll do it. I'll kill Peter''

Matt smiled, ''Good''

Then she thought about it. Why would he be helping her? She was from another pack (as much as she hated that) so why wasn't he killing her? She questioned her doubts to him aloud.

He simply laughed at her, ''No Allison, you've misunderstood. I wouldn't hurt you. You are a child of Artemis as we all are. Besides, an enemy of an enemy is a friend of mine'' he reassured her.

''Why are the Hales your enemy?''

He looked pained by this question and she could tell there was a lot of misery under his cheery façade. A lot of anger that he kept below the surface.

''The Hales abandoned Artemis and for that they were punished. Artemis allowed victory to the hunters that persecuted us. My family was in that fire. They were worshippers of Artemis and they were left to burn because of the Hales disregard to our Goddess''.

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't once thought about the consequences of what her aunt did when she set that fire. She knew innocent people suffered but she always regarded them as necessary collateral damage. Yet now she was here in front of one of those 'collateral' people, she felt an aching guilt press down on her stomach hard. All she could utter was a quiet, ''That's terrible''

She sighed. ''I am not a child of Artemis, Matthew'' she was reluctant in telling him but she knew he would find out eventually and if she was going to be killed, she'd rather get it out of the way as quickly and painlessly as possible. ''My aunt was the one who set that fire''.

He didn't look at her when he replied, ''I know'' Then he shifted closer and took her hands, ''But you can repent for what your family has done''.

She came closer to him. Looking closely at his facial feature as she did. They were soft and inviting. His normal eyes were a calming blue and he had small and shapely pink lips. The most inviting feature of which were the words that were coming out of those heavenly looking lips.

''How?'' she questioned him. He let go of her hands.

''Join us''

He lifted his sleeve and displayed the markings on his arms. They had been burnt into him. It was the letter 'A' curved to look like a bow with the line in the middle being a arrow. The symbol had been scratched into his flesh. She hovered her fingertips over the markings.

''You can touch it'' he assured her.

She rested her finger on the beginning of the marking and traced it softly.

''Will it hurt?'' she obliviously asked him.

''Yes. But the pain will show your devotion to Artemis'', he held her hand, ''To _us_. You will be forgiven for the sins of your family and given the chance of redemption''

''How will it be done?''

''The Silver point of an arrow. We should do it now under the full moon when Artemis is at her most powerful''

She let him lead her away from the room. What was she doing? Everything in her head was telling her to run, to fight, to do anything to get away from this, from him!

But she let it all happen. She wanted it to happen. This is the most sense her life has made in the past few weeks since she was turned by Peter. She could be cured. She could help Matt get his justice and get her own revenge on Peter for turning her and ruining her life. For the first time in a long time, she felt comforted and safe. She realised it was quick and that she must have been insane to believe everything Matt had told her. She ignored all of the warning signs and the logic in her head. She let herself be lead by her feelings and her gut instinct. She abandoned everything her parents had taught her to be led blind once again into a world she had no idea about.

The worst part was that she had no problem in doing so, whatsoever.

The only concern was what would happen to her brother if she killed their alpha, or if he even tried to stop her. She had left him behind but she still thought of him. She still cared. As much as she wished that she could do what she wanted without being concerned for someone else, she couldn't deny that natural instinct to protect her twin. After all, he was the reason she lost all sense. Although he wasn't here right now and she had let go of all common sense to trust Matt. A wolf she barely knew.


	13. Chapter 13

Victoria couldn't help but stare out of the window and up at the twinkling night sky. Chris slid his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug which Victoria leaned into.

''Full moon'' she remarked casually, even though they both knew what that meant.

It had been nearly a month since their children went missing. Despite them being nearly twenty, they would always be children in their eyes. And their children were gone.

They had come back to the house. Chris remembers the moment his heart stopped when he entered the horrid sight. Their once peaceful sanctuary of a home was now disturbed by broken doors and dead bodies. There was no doubt who had been behind it the second they walked through the empty doorway where their patio doors, that once stood tall and unbreakable, were ripped off of its hinges. They immediately searched the house for Stiles and Allison. The realisation they weren't here would have been enough to break them completely if they didn't hold onto to one tiny hope: they hadn't found their corpses. They searched the house, the nearby area and of course, the woods. Nothing.

It sounded ludicrous that it was a relief. They were taken but they weren't dead. There was hope that they were still alive. And if they were, they knew who had them.

Yet the confusion didn't end. If they wanted to use them for leverage then surely they would have been contacted by now? Sent some video of their babies tied to a chair. Or their fingers sent in the mail. Something? Anything? But they had received nothing.

They wanted to truly believe that they had somehow escaped their cluthes and were laying low somewhere. That the werewolves hadn't got them and they couldn't contact their parents to keep safe. They really did want to believe it. But they couldn't, they weren't stupid and they weren't going to start, especially when they knew they had to stay strong and keep calm if they were ever going to find them. The Whittemore's, the Martin's and Lahey had been invaluable in their help. A lot of their own hunters were killed the night of the kidnapping and the night became a source of great loss and mourning for them all. Everyone felt the impact but everyone dealt with it differently. Most of them had driven into work mode, something that Chris and Kate were guilty of. Victoria silently seethed to herself and distanced herself.

To anyone else, a full moon illuminating a dark blue sky was a beautiful sight. The big creamy light in the sky hanging above like a reminder that the world was still here and that everything was calm. To hunters, it meant murdering sprees, it meant having to explain away all of the supposed 'animal attacks', the girls and boys ripped apart and the families destroyed. That is what a full moon meant to the Argents and everyone that they loved and cared about. It was the beaconing call for a sense of duty in their hearts that would never quell.

Chris put his chin on her shoulder and held Victoria a little tighter. He'd heard amongst werewolves that to control themselves during shifts they needed an anchor. In moments of despair like this he mused whether this wasn't too far from what he felt towards his wife during their mutual agonising loss.

''Do you think they'll be running for their lives right now?'' she dared to ask, imagining the scenes of Stiles and Allison running scared and blind through the woods, darting past trees and holding their breaths as they hid and ran from the monsters. She imagined them crying and pleading on their knees. She held Chris' arms around her stomach tighter to thwart the sickening weight in it brought from these images that were enough to drive her to insanity.

''Do you think they'll be with them?'' the 'them' being the unspoken-of Hales. ''Do you think they'll be-''

Chris shushed her gently. He wanted her to be quiet. He didn't want to deal with what-if's. They were too much to bear and he couldn't. He just couldn't open up his heart to yearn for their safety anymore than it already was. He had fallen straight into hunting and tracking them down. Following up clues, hints. Torturing for information.

He wanted to know where the Hales lived. Where they slept so that he could find them and take everything away from them. He envisioned flames and blood and carnage. Cries and screams and futile begging. He let the dark images of revenge compass him into ignoring all common sense, into abandoning any morals he had left. Chris had always tried to be a good man. To be a fair man but now it seemed like it didn't matter. If he saved his boy and his girl he'd happily burn in the afterlife for his sins as long as they were came home.

The past few weeks forced him to look at his relationship with his twins and the pride he once thought of as untouchable was crumbling at its very foundations and becoming rebuilt as shame. Shame at how all of the bonding he had done with his girl was through their hunting and their training. Not through anything kind or loving but through the glee he'd got once he had taken the life of their hunted animals. He hadn't taken her to the movies or shared a (normal) hobby with her like normal families did.

Even worse was the way he had treated his son. Stiles was a different kid. When Chris envisioned the future that his son would have on the day he was born, it had been unrecognisable compared to the reality. He imagined his son to be a provider. A hunter. A strong and towering man. Completely fearless. Relentless and brutal in his quest to protect the world from the abomination of werewolves.

But Stiles was far from that. It's true that physically over the years his son became stronger. He had developed a somewhat lithe and muscular frame, although he kept it hidden underneath flannel shirts and oversized hoodies. But emotionally, his son could become easily overwhelmed even when he hid it under the surface. Through a lot of his childhood he had struggled to control panic attacks. Chris is appalled to think now that he had made his son feel weaker and insignificant because of it. Stiles has learnt to control it since, however it never goes away. It remained lurking despite how much he had moved past his old issues.

Chris realised now he should have admired Stiles. His son was much stronger and smarter than he ever gave him credit for. Every issue he's ever had has been dealt with alone in silence yet he had overcome a surprising amount of it feeling optimistic for the future.

If he ever had the opportunity to see his children ever again, he would treasure them for the individuals they were: the faults they compressed and their amazing strength and determination they possessed. He would beg them for forgiveness for the way he treated them. For the way he let hunting overpower his duties as a father to listen to his children and to make them happy.

* * *

Kate was preparing and loading her guns for the night ahead. Sharpening the blades that hung o n her belt for easy access. Making sure the pins on the smoke bombs were secured.

She noticed Lahey staring at her.

''Take a picture, it'll last longer'' she responded coldly.

After he had been forced to kill his recently bitten wife, Lahey had become more and more cut off but Kate's sarcastic and blunt jibes brought him back. In an odd way, he enjoyed them. Everyone treated him like he was made of glass but refreshingly enough Kate treated him as she always had. When he did chose to offload, he chose Kate. She would remain silent and wouldn't offer him useless sympathetic expressions such as ''I'm so sorry for your loss'' and ''she was a great woman'', she would listen and let him talk until he was finished then she would pass him a beer and asked him if he wanted to watch the game with her and that was it. No awkwardness. No talking about it the next day. Just beer and football.

She was cold and unresponsive and that was exactly what he needed. Some would read into it as heartless but Lahey figured that since she kept listening to him and didn't tell anyone else about what he had talked to her about that she couldn't have possibly been as heartless as she tried to present herself as being. He might have even regarded her as being his friend. Even though growing up Kate had always been his best friend's annoying younger sister.

He laughed, ''Why would I wanna look at that any longer than I have to?''

She gave a sarcastic laugh back. ''Coming from the guy who was so ugly the day he was born, the nurse who delivered him jumped off the empire state building''.

Lahey just laughed back at her.

They were hash jibes but he was almost convinced that there was no malic to them. He had known her and Chris since childhood and they had grown up together into the hunter circuit.

Hunters always kept close to one another. They always treated each other with the respect of fellow soldiers fighting the same war, even offering refuge or assistance to anyone who needed it.

Lahey sighed, ''You know that they've practically declared war on us, right?''

Now it was Kate's turn to stare back at blankly before agreeing, ''I know''

Lahey decided that perhaps for once, Kate should be the one to offload. She'd never do it willingly so he offered her the opportunity.

''I know you miss them''.

She checked the safety on her gun once more. Lahey wasn't stupid, he knew she was avoiding the topic. She loved those kids. Even Stiles, who she always seemed to argue with.

She gave a soft ''yeah'' in response and wanted to leave it at that.

''Do you wanna talk about it?''

She offered him a rehearsed smile, ''No, I don't. I wanna find Peter Hale and rip his heart out. Then I wanna set fire to whatever laire they're hiding in and make sure this time that they burn inside of it''

She paused, ''None of this would have happened if I'd have simply killed the prick's nephews. If Stiles hadn't been so wildly stupid as to let them go''

Lahey scoffed and shook his head, ''What in the hell do you think possessed him to do that?''

Lahey had never understood why he had done it. It was a betrayal in his eyes and he would have done a hell of a lot more to Stiles than whip him if it was up to him. He had done worse to Isaac simply for slamming a door and talking back.

She shrugged, ''I think he was going through some teenage rebellion bullshit and he wanted to get back at me'' she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, ''Stiles has always been naïve. He always wants to see the best in people''

''They aren't' people!'' Lahey spat out bitterly, thinking of what those things forced him to do to his wife.

''I know they're not!'' she reassured him, ''But Stiles...'' she paused wondering how to phrase it exactly, ''… he doesn't know about the world like we do. He still looks at the world in rose tinted glasses. He trusts too easily and I'm terrified that it's gonna kill him one day. That we won't be around to protect him. Hell, we couldn't even protect him now!''

She had cried out the last part and had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop the sobs coming out. Her eyes had welled up with tears and her chest had tightened.

Without thinking, Lahey got up and hugged her. She was more than a little surprised at first that the man who had once beaten up a guy for patting him on the shoulder, was now willingly wrapping his arms around her to comfort her in one of her lower moments. Normally she would have pushed him off and even shot him in the foot for good measure but she allowed it. Even sinking her head into shoulder.

''I miss them''

He didn't respond he just patted her head and shushed her.

* * *

After a few minutes, he pulled her off of him.

''Pull yourself together. We're going on a hunt''.

She obeyed him and wiped her tears away.

''Let's go''

* * *

They had been tracking the prints they had found in the forest for a while now. They were small so the likeliness of it being male was dismal. As was the likeliness of them being older.

They concluded that this was a young omega. Female by the looks of it.

Although omegas were weaker, they were also considered unpredictable. They were usually packless for a reason, the most common being that they did something considered even awful by werewolf standards and were kicked out by the alpha and the other beta's.

Or best case scenario, they were kicked out for being too weak.

Werewolf pack dynamics and bonding were not taken as seriously by most hunters as they should be. While hunters believed they protected each other out of necessity, it was actually out of loyalty and a sense of family, therefore becoming an omega was not typical but not too uncommon an occurrence either.

When they had heard low whimperings, the two of them grinned and as Lahey stepped forward Kate put her hand on his chest. He understood that she needed this. That this had to be her kill.

She unsheathed the blade from her side. She wanted this to be bloody and gruesome. She wanted hear flesh rip and piercing sqeals from the monster squirming and writing underneath her.

With no sudden warning, the thing roared away from the other side of the tree and pounced on Kate. It slashed her stomach and chest with its claws and banged its fists against her in frustration. It was an odd display that almost made it seem like the girl didn't want to kill her but she knew she had no choice. Unfortunetly for her, Kate had stabbed the young girl in the shoulder and the thigh during the struggle with a wolfsbane coated dagger.

She limped off of her and went in the other direction.

Lahey looked down at Kate who severely injured with deep wounds that looked like they might have hit her organs. He had to choose between saving Kate and killing the wolf girl. As much as he wanted to rip apart the young girl who was trying to sprint out into the distance (but struggling), he cared more about Kate.

He lifted her off the ground and carried her. He ran with her in his arms as fast as he could to get her home in time for them to save her.

''Get the wolf!'' she kept rasping over and over again, clearly caring more about killing the lowly omega than the value of her own life.

Lahey ignored her and kept running.

Just as the girl kept running. The wound in her leg was causing her searing pain. She was still in her wolf form but the sun was coming out and it wouldn't last long. The full moon was the only thing that was stopping her from collapsing. It was giving her the last bit of strength she had left to carry on. To get anywhere she could, a safe haven. She was praying for a miracle.

* * *

She had been running and hiding for days. She was tired, dehydrated and almost half starved. And now she also had to deal with these wounds alone.

Her father had been killed while she was sleeping over at a friends house. Everyone was so concerned for her: The police, her friends, her friend's parents. They were all trying to track down the killers but she was the only one who knew who they were: Hunters.

Her father had been a born werewolf and he hoped that by having a human mother to his child that his child wouldn't become one herself. He had been woefully proven wrong and had to then expose his true werewolf side to his wife. She had been horrified to say the least and after a few months of trying to make it work, she decided it was impossible and left them. Raising a child was difficult enough but when this child grew hair, snarled at people and had golden eyes she'd decided enough was enough and left. Her father had been devastated to say the least but all he wanted was to lead a normal life. Free of packs and hunters. He had so desperately wanted to have a human wife and a human child but he had been denied his only wish. Still he knew he now had a young daughter to take care of, a reason for living.

Now his daughter was running around begging for salvation which came as a big house in the middle of the woods. Which, unbeknownst to her, held the nephew of the woman who had just stabbed her in the leg and shoulder.


	14. Chapter 14

Derek's prediction had been right: It was a long and awkward night.

Derek could barely look at Scott after he'd brought up what happened with Kate.

It seemed like a cut that would never heal. In all honesty, Derek didn't think it was undeserved. He blamed himself so many times. If only he hadn't been with Kate. If only he wasn't stupid enough to bring her back to the house. He knew she belonged to a hunter family. He brushed it aside. He thought that she was different to them. That they were in love and that she'd never hurt him.

She was an older woman sure but that only brought more of an appeal. He was an idiotic young boy with a crush. She made him feel like he was some sort of ladies magnet. Then he fell in love. A mistake that would take the lives of many innocent people. His sister Cora had found out about the whole affair but he begged her to keep quiet and not tell their parents. He insisted that Kate was different and that she loved him as much as he loved her. Cora put her trust in his judgement and agreed to keep quiet. Now he wishes she hadn't. He wishes that she'd told his parents. They would have banned him from seeing her and he would have been angry with them and probably tried something stupid like running away or trying to see her but eventually he'd have gotten bored and moved on. That would have been his reality. His entire family still alive and well.

But this was his reality now. Standing in a basement with a tied up Argent and his brother watching the sunrise approaching.

* * *

He and Scott took out the bolts from Stiles' limbs, grinding them back out the way they came in, causing the restrained blood to pour out of the wound but his body quickly recovered and the marks were gone like they were never there.

Stiles flopped down to his knees. He felt weakened and his arms felt stiff from being restricted above his head all night. He rubbed his shoulders to try to relieve the soreness as much as he could.

Derek roughly picked him up by his arm and let go of him as quickly as he got him up and stormed off up the stairs.

Scott looked at Stiles in a way he had never seen before. His arms were crossed and his jaw was set tightly. There was a stiffness in his face accompanied by relentless eyes. It was clear that he was pissed.

''What the hell was that last night?'' he poked Stiles hard in the chest and drew in closer to his face. ''Next time you want to piss off my brother, don't use me to do it!' He said through gritted teeth.

Stiles just looked at him lost. He hadn't realised before that was what he had done but now he knew Scott was right. He had just wanted to lash out.

''I'm sorry Scott''

This seemed to surprise Scott as if he thought that Stiles wouldn't have apologised which had softened his confrontational mood.

''Then why do it?'' He questioned.

Stiles bit on his bottom roughly as his eyes threatened to release tears as he thought of Allison and his parents. Scott put his hand on Stiles' shoulder.

''I didn't know what they were planning I swear. You believe me right?''

Stiles nodded then gave a bitter laugh, ''Still doesn't make my family any less dead''.

Stiles' words gave a sense of unfortunate familiarity in Scott. He knew what it was like to lose your family. He had lost his sisters, his parents, cousins, friends. But at the very least he had Derek and Peter. Stiles now had absolutely no one left.

Stiles' laughter died down into tears. He couldn't hold it back and he tried to wipe his tears away roughly with his palms. All he could think of was that he's all alone. Stuck with the people who had killed them. He has no one. No one was looking for him. No one cares. Allison would have been shot down like an animal. His parents ripped apart and attacked.

''STILES BREATHE! PLEASE CALM DOWN''.

It was a distant yell but he couldn't hear anything else apart from his own hyperventilating breaths and his own heartbeat. It was beating unbearably loud and sounded so quick he was scared it wouldn't calm down, which only increased his panic and made it beat even louder and even harder.

He clutched at his own chest that became so tight and restricted desperately to stop the sensation. He was aware of what was happening. He thought he had it under control. He would have felt ashamed if he could think clearly beyond sheer fear and helplessness.

His head was spinning and he felt dizzy and disorientated as his brain craved more oxygen and feared it wouldn't get it.

All he could do was grab onto fleeting thoughts in his mind of Allison and his family and what would happen to him now that they were gone as he felt himself slip further and further away.

The feeling of fainting drew stronger and his knees buckled. He had to lean against Scott and grabbing onto his arms for support.

''DEREK!'' he called out desperately, ''PETER! HELP!''

Scott was at a loss at what to do. He had never dealt with anything like this and he hadn't got a clue what to do. He felt useless to helping his friend. All he could think to do was to grab him when his knees buckled. Stiles was shaking in his arms and heaving in and out.

The others came running when they heard the deafening shouts of Scott and the uncontrollable thumpings of Stiles' heart.

Scott looked at them desperately and pleaded, ''What do I do?! Help me!''

Derek came closer to Stiles and kneeled down so that he was facing the panicked boy with his face buried in his younger brother's chest.

''Stiles'' he said calmly, ''Stiles look at me''

Stiles had heard the voice and gravitated his focus towards it. It sounded soothing, even felt it. His thoughts slowed down and he turned to face the source.

Derek put his hand on Stiles' and spoke comforting words to him ''You're safe. You're okay. We're all here, nothing is gonna happen to you''.

Stiles' repeated the word 'safe' in his head as much as he could. He tried to even his breathing. Derek had even inhaled and exhaled at the same time to guide him into calming down.

* * *

The process took a few minutes but all of the wolves felt relieved as Stiles' heart started to slow down to a steady pace.

Stiles had become to calm down and return to a normal state of mind, realising his position. He had his head in Scott's chest. While he had been grabbing onto one of his arms for support, Derek had put his hand on top of his that was still gripped onto Scott's forearm. He hadn't realised that he had retracted his claws and dug his nails into Scott's arm. They were quite deep marks that had pierced his jacket with long droplets hanging from the puncture wounds. Given the situation, Scott hadn't complained about them.

Erica, Boyd and Peter were all stood nearby. Stiles looked around at everyone. They all had the same expression on their faces. They all looked... concerned?

No they don't care about me

Yet there they were. All staring at him like they just wanted to hold him and reassure him that he was okay. Stiles felt safe. A weird and warm feeling that he belonged. He found it disturbing once he reminded himself what they had done to him and his family. He was reluctant to give into it and slowly retracted himself from Scott's hug and the hand that Derek had offered him. He got up slowly. He was expecting everyone to leave but they all stood there still looking at him.

It was obvious they were surprised. Stiles hadn't told them about his panic attacks because he honestly believed he had controlled them. That and there was no point in offering up any information they could use against him. That went out of the window now they had seen him this vulnerable.

Finally the silence was broken when Erica asked him, ''Are you okay?'' the concern and care obvious in her voice.

Stiles nodded slowly and drew into himself silently. He was calm now but he felt stupid and awkward for losing his control like that. He was afraid he would lose their respect. He didn't want to be viewed as a cry-baby or a weakling. Yet he knew if he didn't work through his grief somehow that it would devour him. The question was how.


	15. Chapter 15

They all went up the stairs in silence. None of them wanting to say anything. It wasn't awkward because no one wanted to speak. They were all wrapped up in their own thoughts and wanted to be left that way.

Stiles wanted to take a shower. He was a mess. He was caked in sweat, tears and blood. It felt disgusting and uncomfortable. He was sure that he smelt awful even by human standards. To a werewolf he must smell atrocious.

He insisted that he would take a shower and go to bed. They all wanted him to eat first but they didn't argue with him. Even Peter decided it would be best just to let him sleep if that's what he felt like he needed. They were all tired. The full moon was always exhausting for them all. Trying to control themselves and focus on their anchors.

* * *

After Stiles had left, the remaining pack called a meeting to discuss everything that had happened.

''What caused that?'' Erica asked, oblivious to what had happened after her and Boyd had left.

They informed them of everything that had happened and had been said. It was obvious there were still slight tensions that had only been (ironically) calmed by the panic attack Stiles had suffered.

''I think it was brought on by the news that Allison and his parents are probably dead'' Scott suggested.

''Probably? Yeah, there's no doubt they're all dead'' Peter corrected heartlessly. But he sighed, ''We need to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid''

Erica and Boyd still looked slightly confused.

''Are these panic attacks a regular occurrence?'' Boyd asked.

''We don't know but this was a pretty severe one'' Derek observed

''I didn't know what to do. I thought he was gonna pass out!'' Scott insisted, even though he didn't need to. They had all heard how out of control his pulse was. It sounded like he was having a heart attack and that's what everyone initially thought it was.

Peter wondered out loud, ''If we didn't know about this, who knows what else we don't know about him''

''Oh come on. What exactly do you think he would or even could hide from us?'' Derek questioned.

Peter shrugged, ''That's my point. We don't know. I'm not saying he has some evil plan or whatever...'' he paused considerably, ''...but if there's something we need to know that he's hiding from us then we need to know''

They were all startled by the additional voice that said in an authorative voice, ''Anything you wanna know ask me''.

Stiles had just gotten dressed and come down the stairs. That much was obvious by his wet hair and his freshened state.

Peter didn't hold back. ''Is this the first time you've had a panic attack?''

Stiles wanted to look away from them but decided against it.

''No. It wasn't. I used to have them much more strongly and frequently when I was younger. The last one I had was nearly a year ago and I usually have a hold on them. It won't happen again''

Peter nodded as he seemingly accepted this explanation. He didn't need werewolf senses to know he was telling the truth. The boy had no reason to lie.

''Anything else?''

Before he could open his mouth, there was the sound of a loud thud on the porch.

* * *

All of them looked at each other before Stiles opened the door and was taken aback by what he saw. Which he wasn't expecting since he thought he was un-shockable at this point.

There was a girl lying there, barely conscious, barely breathing. She looked around the same age as Stiles or younger even. Her blonde curls were matted together by mud and dirt. Her appearance was pale and drained, almost on the point of lifeless.

He picked her up and carried her over the threshold of the house before Peter stepped in front of him.

''What do you think you're doing?'' He asked him very calmly.

But Stiles was not going to back down. Not when he could he see how weak she was. How slow her heart was beating. She even smelt like she was dying.

''Peter. She needs help'' he replied firmly.

Peter scoffed, ''She is an omega. We don't know her. We can't trust her. We're not helping her''

''Peter'' he growled lowly, ''Let me save this girl. You've taken so much from me already, let me just have this one thing, okay? This one insignificant life''

Peter looked at him in an almost considerable manner before coldly saying, ''No'' and turned away.

Until Stiles said something that stopped him in his tracks.

''You let her die and I walk away!''

Peter spun round back on his heel to face him and laugh, ''Really?''.

He came closer to her and stroked the face of the now unconscious girl being held in Stiles' arms.

''You don't have no one. You don't have anywhere to go, remember that?'' he reminded him mercilessly.

Stiles shook his head and tutted arrogantly, ''You see that's where you're wrong''. Everyone in the room looked around confusedly at each other but Peter just laughed.

''Really? Mommy and daddy are dead and so is that brat of a sister of yours. You've got nothing and no-one apart from here''

Stiles could have dropped the girl right there and then to launch himself at Peter for calling his sister a brat but he kept calm.

Stiles smiled in a sinisterly contented way, ''I could always take the nuclear option. I go home to all of those hunter friends of mine and I tell them where you are and where you sleep. Sure, they'll kill me afterwards but I got nothing to live for. Like you said, I got nothing and no-one. So are you gonna do the right thing and help me save this girl or is she gonna die anyway and I take us all with her?''

The ultimatum was unbelievable. Especially who it was coming from and why. Who was this girl and why did Stiles care so much whether she lived or died? More importantly, would he really do it?

Peter challenged him, ''You wouldn't dare''

Stiles returned his glare blankly. ''You can hear my heartbeat. You know I am not lying about this and I'm not running my mouth off scared. I can hear yours and I can tell that you are taking me VERY seriously. Now hurry up and make a decision cause if I'm going to save this girl, it has to be now''.

Everyone stared at the two, wordless and unable to move.

Peter was impressed by Stiles. He somehow always managed to redeem himself just when Peter knocked him down. For now his insolence was entertaining so he decided to pamper it.

He jerked his head towards the stairs. ''Take her to the spare room. She's your responsibilty''

Stiles looked relieved and he rushed her to Allison's bedroom up the stairs and dropped her on the bed. As he went back down to get her the water she needed on the stairs he paused. He could hear the wolves debating with Peter.

 _''He threatened **us**. He threatened **my** child and you're just gonna let him get away with that?'' Erica yelled._

 _''Would you relax? He got what he wanted. So what if he saves that little omega? We'll be kicking her out as soon as he's nursed her back to health''_

He went in the opposite direction and went straight into the kitchen and brought up a glass of water and a spare rag on the side of the sink. He wetted it and hurried back up the stairs.

* * *

He saw that she was slipping away. He sat her upright with his hand on the back of her neck as he brought the glass of water to her lips. She gulped it down so hard she choked on it. Stiles remained as calm as he could by taking it away and rubbing her back giving her gentle reassurances as he did.

''That's it. It's okay. You're good'' he kept repeating.

When she stopped choking on it, she leaned back into his touch and allowed him to bring the cup up to her lips again and she drank. Stiles noted that she must have been dehydrated for at least two or three days but it might be different for werewolves. He made a reminder to try to search the shelves again to find anything else that can help her.

After she drank it all, she gave out a desperate plea of ''More''. It was all she could manage to say in that scratched voice of hers. He obliged by refilling it with water from the sink in the bathroom.

She felt dizzy and drifted back into unconsciousness again.

By the time he returned she was gone again. He left the glass on the side table and rushed to her side.

''No. Come on. Come on!'' He whined.

He could hear her pulse still but then he caught something he had missed before.

A stab wound in her shoulder.

Stiles ripped as much of the shirt covering it as he could while trying to maintain her decency. It looked so dark that it was almost a black colour. The smell was so putrid that Stiles gagged on being around it.

''Oh god!'' he exclaimed.

He began to search her body for any other wounds and found another one on her left thigh.

''Damn! You must have walked for miles on that leg!'' he paused and thought about it further and said the last part quietly, ''You must have been really desperate''.

He placed the rag gently on her forehead, ''You're burning up so I'm gonna leave this on your head. I'm gonna get you some bandages, maybe something to clean your wounds, bring some more water. I'll be right back! Okay, I promise''.

* * *

He wasn't being careful so he ended up tumbling down the stairs with a mighty bang. He felt a little bruised but he limped over to the kitchen and started rifling through the draws hurriedly before Erica came around the corner.

''What the hell are you doing?!'' She barked, her eyes flashing as she did.

Stiles didn't fail to keep looking so he provided her with the short answer, ''Looking for the first aid kit. Turns out, she's a stab victim! So great! That just makes my job ten times harder!''

''So you care enough about this stranger to put **my** daughter's life at risk?!'', she bellowed.

He looked at Erica to see she was biting her lip and looking up at the ceiling to stop herself from crying. He was going to come closer but she raised her hand up. Another person whose feelings he hadn't considered before. First Scott now Erica. He wondered if he'd hurt the others. He knew he'd hurt Derek but he was doing that deliberately. Which is probably worse now he was thinking about it.

This stopped him in his tracks, ''What?'' he uttered softly.

''When you threatened to take us all out, that included **HER**! That included me and my family! What have we ever done to **you**?!'' she shrieked

'' **WHAT DID ALLISON EVER DO TO YOU?!** ''

Just like that. There was silence. Both of them staring at each other. Both feeling sad and angry at the other.

''What did I do to you? To any of you, so that you would do this to me!'' he sniffled.

''I'm a good guy'' he protested dejectedly, ''I was never going to be a hunter. I was never going to hurt you or anyone. I just wanted to get into college! I just wanted to leave all of this behind. So I'm not sorry if I feel resentment towards you and everybody in this house because I may be alive but you guys took everything away from me''.

He felt cold and salty tears fall down his cheeks and over lips, dripping off of his chin. He could see that Erica couldn't hold back any longer either.

She wiped away a tear and mustered enough strength in her voice to respond, ''I thought you cared about us. I thought you were one of us now. And then you go and threaten us like that? Fuck you Argent'' she gave a pathetic laugh, ''Fuck you''

Just as she was turning away, she opened up a draw he hadn't checked yet and pointed to it.

''It's in there''.

He grabbed it and before he could thank her, she was gone.

* * *

He was by the girl's side again.

There was a lot more in the bag than he thought there would be. Enough to perform emergency surgery. It pained him a little to think that his family and others like them were the cause for that to be necessary.

He took the rag off of her head and poured some of the rubbing alcohol onto it.

''This is gonna sting but I need to do this, so prepare yourself'' he warned, even though she was asleep.

He dabbed as gently as he could but increased the force when he realised it wasn't doing the job. As he went about the job, he spoke with her. Whether it was to comfort her or him, he wasn't sure but he did it nonetheless.

''I can't imagine what you've been through. I know that omega's usually have bad reputations but I don't think you're like that''.

He gave a little laugh, ''Don't ask me how I know that, I just have a feeling. I'm usually pretty good at those'' and dabbed a little bit more. The wound is beginning to look a lot better now he'd been cleaning it.

He gave a sigh, ''Then again, I've been doubting how good my judgement has been recently''.

He moved from her thigh to her shoulder and reapplied the alcohol onto a different part of the rag and began to dab again.

He observed her face. She had high cheek bones and a thin face. She looked cute and youthful. She had a long button nose and thin yet shapely lips.

''I wish you could open your eyes. Then I could see what colour they are''.

He chuckled at himself, ''And now I sound like a total perv!''

''I'm not by the way. Trust me, you're not my type!''

If you were, it would have made my life a lot easier

Stiles looked into the bag and found two stick-on bandages. He gave a quick sigh of the relief and applied them on top of the wound.

''There we go! All better now- well! Hopefully?'' he tried to comfort.

He saw how dirty and sweaty she was.

She needs a bath.

But she couldn't bathe herself. She hasn't got the strength so it would have to be a sponge bath. But it can't do her any good, stewing here in her own filth.

And she was quite dirty. Her clothes too.

Obviously he couldn't do it. Not that he would take advantage but he knew she probably would prefer it if a female did it. And the only female in the house would be...

''Erica'' he sighed.


	16. Chapter 16

Erica sighed.

 _How on earth did Argent convince me to give the new girl a sponge bath?_

But here she was, gently placing the naked and unconscious girl into the bathtub and wetting the sponge with warm, soapy water. Unfortunately, Stiles hadn't thought ahead and now she would have to try and wash her around her bandages.

She tried to treat it like she was washing Talia. Like she was taking on a motherly role but it was still weird and uncomfortable. She tried not to stare at her body too much but honestly it couldn't be helped. She had to look to know what she was doing. The way the girl's ribcage had started to slightly stick out made it clear she hadn't eaten in a while.

 _She should get something to eat._

Then she corrected herself. _Let Stiles worry about it_. After all it was him that stuck his neck out and put his head under the guillotine for this girl's sake.

As she looked at the girl's fragile and broken state she did something she had been determined not to. She began to feel sorry for the girl. Then a thought entered her mind that she hadn't considered before: _Wouldn't I want something to protect Talia if she was in the same situation?_

She shook her head and tried to get rid of the thought. Just because she had a daughter herself doesn't mean she should go looking out for everyone else's. She was an omega. Which meant she did something wrong or she was too weak to survive. Either way it was her tough luck.

But Erica wasn't that heartless. She knew the feeling of being helpless. Her own past experiences with epilepsy taught her that. When people would just stare at her like a freak instead of actually helping her. She couldn't help but draw the comparison of the girl's situation to her own.

She just looked so vulnerable and young that Erica struggled to believe the girl did something wrong. Even when she slept she looked naïve somehow. The way a child does. The way Talia does.

The grime and dirt was now lifting off of her and making the excess water in the bottom of the tub turn grey and brown. She looked a lot better. A lot less of a sweaty, dirty bloody mess.

She'd struggled to wash her hair given how matted and knot-filled it was but once she had worked in the shampoo and cleaned it a little, it wasn't too bad.

She wrung out the sponge and concluded she'd done enough to clean her properly. She picked up the girl and rested her on the toilet seat so that she could a wrap a towel around her shoulders, which while the girl was resting and dead weight was no easy task to accomplish. But she managed it.

* * *

She was about to bring her out of the bathroom when she heard a knock.

''Erica? It's Stiles. I was just gonna tell you that I've washed her bed sheets so she'll be staying in my room tonight''

As if he could see her raise an eyebrow through the door and he stuttered out a clarification, ''N-n-no no! I won't be sleeping with her! No definitely not! I'll be sleeping on the couch''

Erica sighed and shouted back her answer, ''You should get out of here soon cause I guess I'll be taking her across the hall now''

She grinned as she heard the pounding footsteps as Stiles ran away. She could suppress her laughter when she heard his body smack on the landing floor followed by a loud ''ow!''.

''It's a good thing he's a werewolf or that would bruise''.

Now she was unsure whether she was talking to herself or the girl. Either way she didn't like it, so she remained silent.

* * *

As Stiles stumbled to get up, he noticed the cause of his fall was Derek standing there with his arms crossed. He got up and faced the silent stoic face of Derek.

''You know dude, you're supposed to get out of the way when someone's trying to get past you''

Derek didn't reply but when Stiles tried to get past him again, he moved in front of him and made it clear he wasn't moving until he'd had his say.

Stiles groaned, ''Okay, out with it sourwolf''

Whether it was the irritating new nickname or his apathetic attitude something about Stiles at that moment drove Derek into shoving him against the wall, pressing his arm against his throat. He could feel the younger wolf struggle underneath him but he didn't care.

''You listen to me and you listen to me good. You are a part of this pack so act like it! For some reason, my uncle insists on keeping you around and my brother acts like you're his best friend so better shape up, get your head together and start showing some loyalty. Understand?''

He removed his arm from Stiles' throat so he could clarify his understanding.

Instead he asked a question that had burning his mind.

''Did you know what he had planned for my sister and my parents?''

Derek took a step back, unsure of how to answer him.

''If you want me to show you loyalty, show me some by telling me the truth''

Derek remained silent. Stiles just kept looking for an answer, even though he was nearly completely reassured that Derek's silence was enough answer. But it wasn't. He needed him to say it.

He may not like to say it but he feels connected with Derek the most, even more than Scott. Maybe it was because he was the one bit him. Or maybe because on the night of releasing, Derek had proved to him that there was much more to werewolves than killing. That werewolves were much more than the legends and monsters children feared hiding underneath their beds.

* * *

Silence was broken. Not by Derek but by an alarmed and deafening shriek coming closer.

As Stiles turned towards the noise, it came hurtling towards him in the form of the sick girl running away from Erica. Naked.

She rammed into Stiles and he fell flat on his back with her bare chest pressed onto his chest. She stopped silently as she registered the awkwardness of what her actions had caused. She was now laying on top of a boy. Still soaking with her wet hair dangling down. Her entire body was dampening Stiles' clothes.

He could feel her heart beat so loudly against his chest that it only served as a reminder that she was completely nude except for her bandages.

She felt Erica wrap the towel around her body and as much as she'd just tried to run away from the strange woman who had left her sprawled out on a bed with only a towel around her, she let Erica do it. If only to prevent any further humiliation.

The boy only gave a small laugh.

''What are you laughing at?!'' she snapped insecurely.

He smiled back at her, ''Blue''

''What?''

''Blue. You-your eyes are blue. I was wondering what colour they'd be when you opened your eyes and th-the-they're blue''

She suddenly remembered the voice she was hearing at her bedside this entire time must have been him. The voice that had saved her. Stood up for her.

She could only gaze at him before she noticed a very serious man stood behind who was trying to avoid looking at her. Stiles hadn't failed to notice it either and he found it funny that he'd finally found something to make even Derek Hale flush.

Erica smirked, ''As nice and awkward as this all is, I think this little missy should probably get dried and dressed now''.

As she started to steer her away, she pulled back. ''Wait''

The girl directed her dark sapphire eyes at Stiles and asked him, ''Who are you?''

''Stiles Argent'' he replied pleasantly, ''You?''

''Heather'' she murmured.

Erica guided her back to Stiles' room and past Derek. Derek and Heather were both staring at each other, like they were struggling to read the other's intentions. Whether he'd meant to or not he was frowning at her. As was she.

Derek looked at Stiles, ''She looks well enough to leave''

Stiles shook his head at him, ''Are you kidding me? She's still starved and dehydrated. Not to mention her stab wounds are still severe. I think whatever she was stabbed with was laced with wolfsbane''

The last part of that intrigued Derek, ''Wolfsbane? So you're thinking hunters?''

Stiles nodded, ''Yeah. I've grown up with hunters, they coat everything in wolfsbane like it's sugar. They even have special suicide pills they'll take''

''Suicide pills?'' he questioned.

''Yeah, suicide pills. When a hunter's cornered or it's clear they're not gonna make it out alive, they take pills full of wolfsbane so that if a werewolf bites them, they'll die with them''

Derek shook his head, ''Wow... they're really that determined to kill us that they'll actually poison themselves and suffer a painful death like that?'' he laughed, ''Fucking headcases''

Stiles grinded his jaw. ''Derek, you never answered me. Did you know?''

Derek nodded.

Stiles didn't even know why he should be surprised at this point. He wasn't angry like he was before. Disappointment would be the more appropriate word. But why? How could he expect anything from these people?

''Right'' he replied simply but Derek wasn't finished.

''Stiles, I didn-. I wasn't exactly happy about it but...'' he paused, ''...I can't disobey my alpha''

Stiles could help but laugh at him when he thought about what his rebellion had cost him three years ago.

''Just like I couldn't disobey my parents that night three years ago''.

Stiles left Derek standing there, feeling guilty and passive for letting Peter carry out this plan but the truth was he wasn't sorry about it.

The Argent's and all their hunter friends had killed countless of his own kind without a second thought. So why would he show them mercy?

He thought about that word again and what meaning it had between him and Stiles.

He didn't know it but Stiles that night had changed what Derek thought of humans. After Kate, he was determined that humans were either prey or predator. Stiles was neither. He had freed him and his brother when he didn't have to. Yet he wasn't prey either. There was some sort of silent strength of moral character he had never seen in a hunter.

He forced to make himself think of when he had to watch Kate hurt and beat his brother. That feeling of being hopeless in protecting someone you love. He was spared the pain of losing his brother by Stiles. Now he had caused Stiles to feel the very same thing he had protected him from feeling. He'd lost sisters too.

He felt horrible about the pain he had inflected on Stiles after the sacrifice he had made for him. But he couldn't say he felt horrible about who had died.

Chris and Victoria Argent were prolific hunters. They'd killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of werewolves and never blinked an eye. Allison was undoubtedly heading the same way as them. He saw that in her: A merciless and selfish heart. Perfectly distanced to ignore the pleas and cries of mercy. Unlike Stiles.

He hated how this would all affect Stiles but beyond that he was glad for their demise.

 _Glad might be a tad too harsh._

Relieved would be more attune to the situation.

* * *

''I can't believe I did that'' Heather muttered to herself.

Erica giggled, ''I can't believe you did either. Even I think there's such a thing as coming on too strong!''

Heather shook her head and groaned. ''Oh god! And I'm gonna have to face him again!''

Erica shrugged, ''Don't tell him I said this but Stiles is a good guy. He won't act like a dick about it. He might awkwardly spurt some kind of apology but tell him to shut up and he'll never mention it again''

Heather looked up at Erica curiously. ''You seem to know him quite well''

''Well he's only been here with us a little over a month''

''Really? Huh?''

Erica raised her eyebrows, ''What?''

''Nothing... I just... he smells like he's pack. Like he belongs here'' she observed.

Erica scoffed, ''If only Stiles would realise that''

''If Stiles didn't want to be part of the pack, why did he accept the bite?''

Erica shifted awkwardly, ''I'm gonna go get you some of my old clothes, then you can get dressed and join us for dinner. It should be ready in half-an hour''.

Heather didn't fail to notice how Erica avoided answering the question. Her suspicions were definitely raised and she could tell that Stiles had been forced to join the pack. The mark on his neck indicated that it was quick and messy, as if he'd been held down during it. Then there was how easily he was willing to throw everything away just to help her.

Which Heather didn't understand. Surely there was something behind that. But Stiles didn't seem like that. She may have been unconscious but she had heard snippets of the conversations in the household. Especially when Stiles was talking to her. He would never understand how much hope that had given her while she was healing. The gentle way he looked after her and protected her.

Why would he go to all that effort for her though? She wasn't blind or stupid. It was clear he was the only one who trusted her.

He obviously held some authority in the pack if they let him heal her.

She didn't want to think about leaving. Leaving him. She would be all alone again. It sounded crazy even to her but she wanted to be part of a pack. Her father hadn't told her anything about werewolves so most of her knowledge came off the ever-so-reliable internet and all of the websites commonly said that pack bonds were stronger than family. And after her entire world has been turned upside down in a matter of days, she needed to feel like someone was looking out for her. That someone was Stiles.


	17. Chapter 17

Stiles kept checking over his shoulder to see if Heather was going to join them. So much so that he was annoying Derek.

''Would you stop already? You're gonna get whiplash''

''He's right my boy. Besides I think you saw enough of her already'' Peter laughed mockingly.

Stiles looked at Erica immediately.

''They were gonna find out eventually''

Stiles couldn't really argue with that and played with his food but he wasn't hungry. His mind was too preoccupied.

Heather came down the dining room and stood at the doorway. She wanted to eat and join them but she felt like she needed to have permission first, which she was granted when Peter commanded her to sit.

She sat down cautiously. She didn't know what these people were like. Not really. The only people she had even seen so far had been the woman who helped her, Stiles and Mr Grumpy. She guessed his name wasn't really Mr Grumpy but she didn't know his name and it seemed more appropriate than to name him 'guy that isn't Stiles'.

She looked around the table and saw who she could sense was the Alpha at the head of the table. He was the man who summoned her to sit. At first, she had thought that Mr Grumpy was the alpha since he seemed the naturally authorative and intimidating type. Even when he was silent he could manage a look of indifference that said that he would kill her in an instant without a second thought.

As terrified as she should be by him, she wasn't. His expression softened when he looked at his pack. Particularly Stiles for some reason she couldn't fathom. No one else noticed. Or if they did, they were ignoring it. She guessed that no one else had noticed. She was somewhat self aware that she was being meticulously observant seeing as she stepping into a lion's den. Or in this case a literal wolves den.

Sat next to him was who she presumed was his brother. Although they didn't look completely alike there was the slightest family resemblance: the olive skin and dark hair combination present in both of them, both muscular beyond belief. While the brother looked cute in a boyish way, Mr Grumpy was masculine in every sense of the word. He couldn't have been five years older than her and Stiles but he had obviously settled into the appearance of an adult more gracefully.

For Stiles his transition from the awkward pubescent boy to a fairly lithe and well built man had developed rapidly in the space of leaving high school. Life had been a lot kinder once he had left. He had been accepted into college and was excited to be going. Until he and Allison had been taken and turned.

Heather kept staring down the table and observed the last two people left.

The dark man sat next to woman and their daughter. He seemed to notice her glance and returned it casually but didn't hold it long. He was focused on feeding their child.

Heather was surprised to find that the woman who had helped her was a mother. Then she thought the idea couldn't have been that surprising given how gently she had handling her. Like she was used to mothering someone.

She thought the sight was sweet. The mother laughing at how her toddler had mushed some of her mash potatoes onto daddy's nose. Instead of groaning or moaning, he gave her an eskimo kiss and the toddler gave a little giggle.

Heather was saddened by the sight a little. She had never had that full family unit. Sure her father was more than loving and attentive but it couldn't account for the loss of a motherly presence growing up. All because she was a werewolf: something she was ashamed of and didn't understand. Her father had taught her how to control her senses and shifts. Beyond that he told her nothing.

She wanted to act restrained but when food which she had hoped, begged and prayed for, she couldn't hold back and she started tearing it apart and eating it with her hands, not caring for the mess.

She felt mortified when she had finished it and everyone was staring at her curiously. Nearly pitifully. Their alpha just looked amused. Her hands and mouth was smothered with gravy and grease. Worse still, it wasn't enough.

Luckily for her, Stiles sensed this and pushed his plate in front of her. He hadn't touched it.

 _Did he save this for me?_

''Thanks'' she quietly told him.

He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, ''You need to build up your strength''

She tucked into the food but this time she used a knife and fork after wiping her mouth and hands with the serviette Stiles offered her. She quickly finished off that as well.

''You're certainly a fighter, kid'' the alpha remarked now staring at her scrupulously. ''Stabbed, starved, dehydrated yet still alive''. He leaned forward on his elbows, ''How is that exactly?''

Heather hoped her gulp wasn't audible but she was a werewolf herself so she knew they would pick up on it. She didn't want to seem intimidated so she tried her best to keep her cool.

''We all know exactly why I survived'' she looked at Stiles and everyone took the indication.

It was true enough.

''So Heather- I can call you Heather can't I?'' he offered.

''That is my name yet I still don't know yours'' she challenged, leaning a little more forward to look at him directly.

A small smirk played on his lips and he answered her, ''I'm Peter and I'm the alpha sweetie. Don't talk to me like that cause I won't allow it, no matter how much of a pretty face you are''

Now she was certain the alpha was leering at her. She felt disgusted yet slightly complimented.

What's wrong with me?

''I'm Scott'' the younger brother beamed.

She offered him a smile. He seemed genuine enough to her, his upbeat nature seemed trustworthy.

Scott looked at Mr Grumpy who remained in what she suspected was his typical stern and silent demeanour. Scott elbowed his brother who shot him a look before turning to Heather.

''Derek'' he clarified blankly.

Erica and Boyd introduced themselves and their daughter Talia, who obliviously offered a greeting giggle. It gave Heather a warm feeling inside, quickly turning into an ache when she thought of where her parents were now: her mother she had no idea and her father was in some police investigation morgue.


	18. Chapter 18

Never one to beat around the bush Peter bluntly asked her, ''Who stabbed you?''

Heather tried to recall it but it was hazy. It happened so quickly she was amazed she made it out alive. Or that she even survived after that. If it wasn't for the fact that the hunter's friend wanted to save her more than he wanted to kill her, Heather had no doubt that her family's line would have ended with her.

''I'm not sure. I think it was definitely hunters'' she paused. As hard as it was she knew that Peter would force it out of her somehow. It was clear he wanted answers from her about her family and where she came from.

''Whether or not they were the same ones that killed my dad and they were coming after me to finish the job I'm not sure''

Peter nodded, ''Mother?''

Heather looked down feeling self-conscious about the subject, ''Left me and my dad once she found out we were werewolves.

They all remained silenced by this. Clearly what she had said was something that must not be a common occurrence. All of them were looking at her with obvious distrust, except Stiles but even he was looking at her like he was unsure what to think.

''I'm sorry, but how did she NOT know?!"

Derek's tone wasn't sensitive or gentle. If anything it was quite accusatory.

Heather shrugged almost as if she was oblivious to it as the rest of them, ''My dad hid it from her before they got married. He hoped that with a human mother that I would be human myself. After a while it became rather obvious I wasn't''

''So that explains why you're packless'' Derek leaned forward, ''But why was YOUR dad packless? What did he do?''

Heather huffed defensively, ''Who said he did anything?''

''Don't play dumb!" he accused "Omega's are nearly always packless because they did something fucked up. So tell me, what did your father do?''

''HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!'' She cried out hoarsely as she banged her fist on the table.

She broke and started whimpering, ''I don't know'' repeatedly until she was wiping tears from her eyes.

Instinctively she leaned into Stiles who wrapped his arms around her back and hushed her. Even Erica couldn't help herself in getting up and putting her hand gently on the girl's shoulder.

''Perhaps, you've asked her enough questions, Derek'' she sneered lowly.

Derek gave a huff in disbelief.

 _Even Erica? Really?_

He looked at Heather and something about those crying eyes brought him back to how Stiles' would hold Allison while she was crying. He would be giving him the same look then as he is now: Disappointed and disapproving all at the same time to make Derek feel like a scolded child. The sudden effect this had on him infuriated him enough to pick his plate up to throw it against the wall.

Everything was in a stand still apart from Heather's quiet sobbing being joined by the shaken wailings of Talia.

* * *

Derek had stormed out of the house and ran into the woods with his brother attempting to keep up with him. He didn't know how to work through it so he kept running and running for miles, his arms and his legs felt exhausted then he thought of how he had looked at him like that it renewed a surge of violent energy and kept going.

He could hear his younger brother starting to slow down but if anything he wanted his brother to stay as far away from him as possible. He needed to be alone right now.

He eventually collapsed and slid his back against a tree. He was exhausted. His vision blurring. Even werewolves had their limits. He was panting now. Loudly. Then he realised what he was risking. Heather had been attacked in these woods less than 24 hours ago by hunters and here he was in the middle of it and vulnerable to attack.

He felt like his pack was breaking apart. It felt like it was divided between Erica and her family then it was Derek and Scott with Peter just doing whatever the hell he wants. And Stiles...

Stiles was the reluctant member who shot off his mouth and even dared to threaten them.

Yet sometimes he had started to belong. When he would be playing video games in the front room with Scott or simply talking to Derek about what new book he had been reading and asking questions about werewolves. He had even started to smell like pack. As much as he tried to act indifferent, Derek knew that he at least cared about Erica, Talia and Scott. Whether he liked Derek himself he could never tell. One minute there he was telling him about his parents and his childhood, the next he was purposefully pitting Scott and Derek against each other.

Derek knew that Stiles would make the perfect pack member. He was kind and strong with an abundance of intelligence. Stiles was willing to hear both sides of the argument and make a rational decision. Derek wishes he could do that but most of the time, he behaved based on his gut feelings. Act now think later summarised his thought process.

He couldn't understand why he couldn't just accept that he was one of them. He couldn't even make up his mind how he saw Derek.

Derek wasn't completely unaware. He knew he interested the kid but he knew how often he was frustrated by him and his constantly changing temper.

Derek felt inexplicably drawn to the other werewolf. Something always told him that he could trust him. That as much as he'd threatened to, he wouldn't really have thrown them all under the bus.

He also believed that Kate was different so maybe he was wrong.

* * *

Not so long after he had calmed down did his younger brother come wheezing from around the corner.

''Derek" he panted still trying to get his breath back, "Dude, why'd you run off like that?"

Derek couldn't really think why beyond how annoyed he felt with Stiles staring at him like that but he couldn't tell Scott that. It sounded weird enough to himself.

"Because..." he began, "...I was five seconds away from tearing out her throat. I don't trust her Scott. She's a liar'

"I dunno about that Derek" he said scratching the back of his neck, "Her heartbeat sounded pretty steady to me"

"So? Really good liars can slow their heartrate down when they lie"

"Yeah but those are the only the really well trained werewolves and she's an omega who appears to have lived alongside humans all her life. She can't be capable of that surely? She's had no one to train her!"

Derek resented how surprisingly smart Scott could be at times.

"She's definitely hiding something", he insisted.

Scott just looked at him. He couldn't think why exactly but he knew that somehow Sties was involved in this hostility towards Heather. He figured it had something to do with Stiles rescuing them and that Derek felt some obligation to protect him in return, especially now he was pack. He must have perceived her as a threat to his safety. Scott couldn't think of a reason for that beyond that Heather was a stranger and an omega: a combination that made her possibly unpredictable.

"Derek I know you want to protect us. All of us. But I honestly don't see Heather as a threat. She's weak and she needs us. I don't think she could hurt us even if she wanted to. I mean come on, one omega against five betas and one alpha? She'd have to be like the superman of werewolves!"

"Or completely crazy"

Scott sighed. He really hopes Derek would just let this go.

"She's just a girl, Derek.'' he sighed, ''She's weak! Afraid! She's not strong enough to hurt us!"

Derek stood up and faced Scott abruptly.

"You don't to be strong to handle a gun. You don't have to be strong to handle a smoke bomb" he hesitated but he really needed to get this through to Scott. "You don't have to be strong to light a match".

The last part hit home hard in both brother's chests.

Scott finally relented. "We'll keep an eye on her but we won't do anything rash in the meantime. Promise?"

Derek nodded but this wasn't enough

"No. Don't give me one of your silent nods that doesn't mean anything. Say the words"

Derek sighed, "I promise"

Scott didn't miss the little hitch in his heart that said Derek wasn't sure he could keep that promise. He didn't address it because he knew it was pointless.


	19. Chapter 19

As they began to head back to the house, Scott pointed out something Derek hadn't thought of.

"You do realise you'll have to apologise to her when we get back?"

Derek's eyes widened, "I will do no such thing!" he declared.

"Derek" he groaned, "Just do it to preserve the peace"

"No! Why should I? She's leaving soon anyway"

Scott bit his lip, "I don't think she is. Did you see the way Stiles and her were with each other? I think they're mates"

 _Mates?_

"Don't be ridiculous. He acted like that with Allison and she was his sister!" Derek argued.

Scott laughed' "There's nothing sisterly about her lying on top of him naked!"

"I was there Scott and it was an accident. She ran out of her room screaming and bumped into him. Hardly a romantic story"

Scott shook his head, "Of course it is! Have you never seen the rom-coms? They always have a funny awkward moment like that"

Derek still loathed that Scott's favourite films were soppy, sappy, pathetic romantic comedies. He was a teenage boy for christsake! He should deplore this stuff and avoid it like the plague. Scott was so pathetically romantic at times.

"Life isn't like the movies Scott. The sooner you realise that the better".

Scott didn't know what else to say so they carried on walking back in silence.

Why did the topic of Stiles and Heather being mates bother his brother so much?

Did he secretly like Heather and that's why he wanted her to leave so badly? It made sense. Derek probably would push away any new chance at a romantic relationship given how badly his last one ended. Scott vowed to himself that he would help Derek to realise his feelings for Heather any way he could.

* * *

Heather was sat at the dining room table with Stiles, looking at all the books on werewolves. After she'd confided in Stiles that her father had taught her next to nothing about werewolves, Stiles insisted almost demandingly that she let him teach her everything she knew. Which was a lot and he has to bare in mind that she would probably get kicked out at the end of the week once she was better.

He was entertaining the idea of going with her. She had no one. He had no one. It seemed like it would work. He felt like he couldn't abandon her now. Not after he saved her life. He didn't want to just throw her out into the big bad world without anywhere to live and no protection.

He had also entertained the idea of begging Peter to let her stay. Threatening him once was a gamble, doing it twice would be tiresome and too risky. If he did it more than once, Peter would get bored easily after realising it was an empty threat. Or he would rip Stiles' throat out to protect his pack. Yeah... Stiles wasn't take a chance on that.

"And that is everything you need to know about shifting" he finished.

Heather was amazed by what her father never told her. She wasn't even aware of half the things she could do. She'd been taught to block out the noise and the smells but after hearing all of this she wanted to disregard the restrictive rules her father drilled into her. She felt somewhat guilty after this thought as she knew he only did it to protect her and not to oppress her.

"Wow! This is all amazing! How do you even know all of this?"

He shrugged, "I've had a lot of spare time"

He sounded sad when he said that, like spare time was a bad thing. Which it was if you were alone.

"How did you join the pack?" she asked him.

He chuckled lightly, "Joined isn't quite the word I would use'

"How were you forced to join the pack?" She rephrased.

"Does the name Argent mean anything to you?" he started.

She shook her head. "Should it?"

"The Argent's are my parents. They're..." he paused and shifted slightly. He didn't want to talk about their hunter status. Painfully, he has to remind himself to talk about them in past tense.

"...They **were** hunters"

Heather didn't want to believe what she was hearing. Stiles belonged to hunters? She drew back away from him a little. And what did he mean by **were**? Heather concluded that they must have died because if they were alive, Stiles would be returned home by now. She tried not to think about that word too much: Home. She didn't have one anymore and she didn't know how she would find a new one. If it was possible for a person to feel like home she would describe it as Stiles.

"So you're a hunter?"

He shook his head adamantly, "No. I've never been one of them. That has **never** been me"

Heather could tell he wasn't by how upset and offended he was by the implication.

"So what happened?"

Such a simple question for such a big explanation. But he told her anyway.

"They took me from my home while my parents were on a hunt. Then when I got here-" he pulled out his collar so she could see the mark on his throat, "-Derek turned me"

"Why Derek?"

He let his collar fall back into place. "I don't know. I didn't think he actually would"

"Why? Did you know him?"

"Kinda. It's complicated. If you wanna know ask him" he spat out bitterly, "He should be the one to tell you"

Heather had a feeling that making Derek tell her was supposed to be some sort of punishment towards him. Whatever he had done must have been bad. She made a mental note to ask him later.

"What about mates?" she wondered aloud.

"What about them?" he asked, somewhat curiously.

She bit her lip, "How do you know when you've met them?"

Stiles wasn't that sure himself.

"From what I've read it differs. For some it's first sight, for others it takes a little longer than that. Everyone's different. I suppose werewolf or human, falling in love is never easy"

"Is there anyway you could have unrequited mates? You know like one that loves one more than the other"

Stiles shook his head, "No. There are a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to mating but it's always a mutual feeling. If one of them doesn't love the other as much as they do then they're not true mates"

Heather was unsure how to feel since he basically just told her that her parents were never true mates and that she can't have been his soulmate. It suddenly filled her up with great melancholy that her father died without finding his true love.

"Oh" she replied pathetically.

Stiles sensed something was wrong and reached out to hold her hand.

"Heather, what's wrong?"

His concern for her was so overwhelming that she just stared into those honey coloured eyes like they had something over her. She noticed his hand on hers and looked back up at him. She felt her heart quicken and her mouth become dry.

 _Oh no..._

He was so worried for her that he didn't even notice how quickly she was falling for him. Worse still was that she could hear his heartbeat thud on as normal. His answer on unrequited mates was now suddenly feeling very applicable to her own situation. Like father like daughter, eh?

She jumped back when she heard a cough and saw Derek and Scott stood there awkwardly.

Stiles was the first to speak, "You here to make more unfounded accusations or...?"

Scott had to prompt Derek with another elbowing in his side. If they didn't heal so easily there would be a constant bruise in his rib cage area from where his little brother constantly had to remind him.

"I'm sorry" he grunted as low as he could

"Pardon?" Stiles pushed.

When Derek looked ready to bite back with something Heather interrupted.

"It's fine" she directed towards Stiles, who still didn't seem convinced.

She turned to Derek and smiled briefly, "Thank you-"

Derek left.

"-Derek" she finished after he'd left the room.

Scott looked mortified by his brother's insincere efforts. "Excuse me" he said hurriedly before running out of the room to lecture Derek.

Stiles just shook his head and huffed "And that is Derek Hale in a nutshell"

"Is he always so moody?"

He laughed, "Like you wouldn't believe"

"And Scott?"

Stiles smiled fondly, "Good guy. I guess I would call him my friend"

"And me?" she asked hesitantly

"what about you?"

"Am I your friend?"

"Sure you wanna be?" he joked

He was joking but something told her there was something half-serious behind it. Like he wasn't used to being wanted. An idea she could only describe as ludicrous as she thought that Stiles would have been the most popular guy in school.

"Of course" she replied doubtlessly

He smiled and punched her lightly on the arm. ''We should get onto pack dynamics. In a household as touchy as this, I'd label that as a priority''


	20. Chapter 20

'You couldn't offer one sincere apology?'' Scott finished his lecture with, ''You promised!''

''No, I promised that I wouldn't do anything while we kept an eye on her'' He corrected

''And you don't think that's gonna be even harder to do now she knows you definitely don't trust her''

Huh. He hadn't thought of that.

"Why did you even react like that?"

Derek didn't really know himself. Though he'd never admit the truth, it was probably because of coming across them holding hands. It sparked something in him, a weird sort of jealousy he couldn't (and wasn't sure he wanted to) describe. He didn't trust or like her yet here she was with Stiles and Erica fighting in her corner like it was the most natural thing in the world... like she was pack. He didn't like that she was integrating into the pack so naturally.

He had tried to bond with him like everyone else in the pack had but Stiles always relented. Derek knew he wasn't completely likeable but every time he feels like Stiles might actually like him or view himself as part of the pack, something happened to get in the way of that.

"Because Scott..." he paused, trying to think of a good reason, "... she's got everyone fooled into thinking she's some kind of princess that wouldn't hurt a fly. It's a crock of shit and I don't buy it"

Then Scott said something that he was not expecting.

"She's not Kate"

Derek was beyond perplexed as to why Scott felt the need to compare the two.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Scott wrung his hands nervously. "She loves him. Or at least she'll be starting to" he sighed, "Kate never loved you"

Silence fell between the two. What was Derek meant to say to that?

"I don't think she's getting close to him with some sort of ulterior plan in mind"

Derek looked somewhat defeated. It pained him more than he could describe to think about Kate and what she did to their entire family.

"I'm not letting the same thing happen to Stiles that happened to me"

"Derek" he whined softly.

"If you need me, I'll be working out in my room".

Derek left as he had promised. Scott really wished that his brother wouldn't close himself off whenever the topic of Kate came up.

It disturbed him to even think of what she did to him that night. The glee and pride she had in torturing him. Scott would occasionally wake up in a sweat after dreaming of that expression on her face as she burned his skin slowly and deliberately, then so much harder and faster than he could predict. He never let any of the other pack members know. They'd only worry about him. Derek would only feel more guilty than he already does (if that were possible).

But he would be willing to talk about that woman if it meant that his brother didn't feel like he was the only one burdening guilt over what happened.

Peter liked to portray himself as a man made of stone but Scott knew better. He knew that he blamed himself because he was older than they were and should have predicted it or stopped it somehow.

He had always wanted to be alpha. He made no secret of how jealous he was that his sister took over from their father but he was right. Talia was more mature than Peter was. Peter was much younger and impatient. Although young herself, Talia understood the needs of the pack outweighed her own.

Before the fire, the Hale pack had good relations with the humans of Beacon Hills. Their children attended school, their adults worked jobs in town. They had to work especially hard to make sure they could keep their secret nature hidden to protect themselves but overall they led happy co-existing lives. Until the Argents moved to town. For years they remained undetected by them and stead cautiously while Peter insisted that they should have attacked first before they discovered the pack, only serving as a reminder as to why Talia was best left in charge.

Peter had finally gotten his wish of becoming the alpha in the most bittersweet way. He had seen everyone he loved burn. He would never tell his nephews but the day they'd reunited Peter was planning his suicide hours before. Then he saw his nephews: scared, alone and hurt. He wasn't a believer in Artemis or god but he thanked the heavens for the miracle of seeing his nephews again.

At first he refused to believe their story that they had been freed by a hunter's son. After everything that happened it was impossible to believe there was kindness like that still existing in the world, especially from the offspring of the people who murdered his closest family and friends. Yet it was the only plausible explanation. When he discovered Stiles was that boy and that he had brought him into his pack, Peter felt a renewal of hope that he could protect his pack, possibly repay him for what he did.

Peter felt no shame in using Allison to kill their parents, even when Stiles was in that basement refusing to believe it. The only drawback was that it isolated Stiles from the pack. But after the arrival of Heather, he'd seemingly moved on from it a tad too fast. Peter wondered if it was as obvious to Stiles as it was to him that caring for Heather was his way of working through the grieving. Stiles seemed like the type of person to put other's needs ahead of himself and boy was Heather a girl in need! Peter also theorised that Heather must have reminded Stiles of his twin. She was just as needy after all.

* * *

Just as Peter was lost in his thoughts, he heard a knock on his study door. He could smell Stiles' scent on the other side and beckoned him to come in.

Stiles did so in a manner so nervously he wondered where the dominate werewolf that stood up to him earlier had gone. It concerned him that the boy didn't know how powerful he could be if he was more self aware of it and conveyed more control.

"Yes Stiles?"

Stiles shut the door behind him. Normally it wouldn't make a difference but every room in the house apart from Heather's and Stiles' were soundproofed from werewolf and human ears alike. Whether Stiles was smart enough to figure this out or dumb enough to still think wolves wouldn't hear through wooden doors, he was unsure.

"I would like to talk to you about something Alpha" he addressed politely.

Being called Alpha by Stiles pleased him. He was finally beginning to understand his place.

"By all means Stiles go ahead" he commanded casually.

He seemed hesitant so Peter guessed what he wanted to talk about

"It's about Heather isn't it?"

Stiles nodded, "She has no where else to go"

Peter shrugged his shoulders indifferently though he was secretly intrigued.

"Not my problem"

"Please..." Stiles began as he came closer to Peter, "She can't survive on her own. She doesn't have any money or anybody she could turn to. She'll be pursued by hunters AND other werewolves. She can't protect herself alone, she'll die!"

He'd plead his case so passionately that even Peter felt moved... slightly.

"Why'd you care so much?"

"What?"

"Tell me why you care so much and I might, MIGHT, consider the possibility of letting her stay"

He sighed and looked down for a moment as if he was weighing up in his mind whether it was worth it or not. He'd obviously decided it was when he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"She reminds me of Allison and in a fucked up way, that comforts me"

Peter lifted one of his eyebrows but Stiles carried on.

"I know. It doesn't make much more sense to me than it does to you but that's how I really feel"

There is a pause in the conversation before Peter spoke his mind about something he had been mulling over these past few days.

"Do you think she's your mate?"

Stiles knew instantly the answer should be a big large 'NO' with capital letters. But as he thought about it, mates were so important to werewolves and packs that if Peter believed that Stiles wanted her as one, he'd let her stay. If anything he'd encourage it. New offspring in a growing pack would definitely be welcome, especially considering how much bigger and stronger they used to be.

"I think so yeah" he lied.

He hoped that Peter wouldn't detect it. He'd left his answer vague so that it wasn't an outright lie and he'd been practising a lot lately. He almost couldn't believe it when Peter took his threat seriously since Stiles was lying out of his ass.

Whether Peter believes him or not (then and now) he's not sure. Peter's just one of those people you can't predict because whether they let you know or not, they always have some hidden thought or agenda that they have no intention of telling you.

Stiles quickly realised that an emotional plea didn't carry enough merit so he thought logically. How, logically, it would be best to keep Heather around.

"Peter, she's never been in a pack before. She's lost the only family she's ever known and we would be offering her all the protection and stability she could ever need. Her loyalty to us would become unwavering." He put his hands up, "Granted, it will take some time and training but she would become a fiercely strong protector and member of our pack"

Peter noticed that throughout he was words like "us" and "our".

"Our pack?" he replied questioningly and Stiles realised his mistake.

"I-" he'd started before Peter put up his index finger to his lips to signal that Stiles should be quiet now. Peter removed the finger from his lip and spoke

"This is MY pack, not ours. In fact I'm curious... do you even feel like you're one of us? Really one of us"

Stiles answered honestly, "I haven't got much of a choice"

"No" Peter began sternly, "Forget about choices and tell me how you truly feel"

Stiles swallowed. This wasn't going to be an easy admission.

"Yes I do feel part of the pack..." he seemed to be unable to say the rest so Peter prompted him

"Yet...?"

"Yet... I don't trust you and you killed my family" Stiles had said so coldly that Pete wasn't expecting the exasperated laugh that followed.

"I mean, you killed my parents and my sister AND you were gonna kill me! Yet some stupid part of my brain-" he pointed his finger roughly into his temple as he shouted this " -overrides that and tells me to trust you... and I know I shouldn't" he added sadly. He let his arm swing back down to his side.

He stared at Peter for some sort of response but as usual Peter has a motionless face that could rival Derek's.

"If she stays, you both stay. If you decide to go at any point in the future, she goes with you. This is the only offer you're gonna get so I'll give you an hour to think it over" he nods towards the door, "Now go".

Stiles left slowly after he realised that something had rooted him to the spot. _Shock? Confusion?_

After he left he realised this was a choice that would affect him more than he thought it would. He hadn't expected Peter to hand him an ultimatum. He doesn't really know what he expected going in there. Probably for him to laugh in his face and tell him to get out. Instead he'd given him one of the toughest choices he's ever had to make. And that included being willing to sacrifice himself so that Allison could get away.

This was a decision that would also cause a ripple effect for Heather. Poor, vulnerable Heather who he needed to protect. If they stayed he could guarantee their safety but not their happiness. He knew the pack cared for him but would they care for Heather the same way? Peter and Boyd couldn't care either way. Erica and Scott, Erica especially, had developed a soft spot for her in a way they hadn't for Allison.

Stiles tried not draw comparisons between Heather and his dead twin. It was a weird enough relationship as it is. Stiles felt like he was her protector. It was an oddly comforting role to play. Caring for someone else forced him to pretend he didn't have any problems of his own. After Heather's comment at dinner of him being responsible for her survival iy left no doubt in his mind that she was grateful for the new role he had adopted over her.

He couldn't tell her about the deal Peter offered him. She'd just insist she wasn't worth the effort and sneak off in the middle of the night and that was the last thing Stiles wanted. She was much stronger than she was and her wounds are healing nicely but she was still clueless. She only knew how to hide not how to defend and you can only hide so long before someone finds you and you're forced to fight. She barely got away the last tine and if Stiles knew hunters well, he knows they aren't the forgiving type.

No. He had to make this decision alone. But he still needed to know how she felt about it.


	21. Chapter 21

Derek had finished his usual amount of push ups and went to the kitchen to make himself a salad. He wasn't a five star chef by any means but his mother always taught him the importance of nutrition and protein. Some of his happiest memories were of those cooking lessons she used to give her kids. He remembered then like it was yesterday. He remembered how Scott was kept away from the mixing bowl during baking as he developed the ability to eat half the mixture when no one was looking. His mother would be holding Cora on her hip, Scott was barely starting to walk and Derek was just starting school. Laura would try to take charge since she was the oldest therefore she was definitely the smartest and did not have cooties.

Derek smiled at the memory as he pulled back the fridge door and got out the lettuce only to give a huff of disappointment as he shut it and saw Heather standing there.

"Skulking now are we?" he greeted her with, "Gotta warn you that's a hard thing to do around werewolves"

He put the lettuce in the counter and started chopping it. Heather crowded over him in a way he didn't like anyone to. He hid his discomfort, he didn't want to let this girl know how much she got under his skin. He wouldn't even look at her.

"Good thing I am a werewolf then isn't it?" she countered with.

He simply scoffed, "Not like we are" in a smug tone he had every intention of being condescending.

She stared at him insulted but it fast turned into something else.

"Who's Allison?"

He whipped his neck around to look at her instantly. How does she know that name?

He wasn't focusing and he cut himself. He gave a small grunt as it stung but quickly healed. Some of his blood was still on the knife so he rubbed the excess on the side of his trousers and was surprised to see her looking at him so horrified.

"Aren't you gonna wash that?!"

He shakes his head casually, "No. Why would I?"

"Why would you?!" she scoffed in disbelief, "You just contaminated your food you can't eat that!"

Derek looked at her oddly. "Werewolf blood can't be contaminated or infected"

She looked confused and gave a shrinking, "Oh"

"You didn't know that, did you?" He observed offhandedly.

"My dad didn't tell me much. He told me what I needed to in order to conceal... who I am"

Derek saw something in those words that he hadn't until now.

"You sound ashamed" he pointed out

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Not of being a werewolf"

She just stared at him like he'd just tried to tell her the sky was green. If it was nothing to be ashamed of her why would her father want a normal human child and wife? Why would he abandon his pack and shun his werewolf abilities? Why would people hunt them down and call them abominations?

 _Why would my mother leave me because of it if it was nothing to be ashamed of?_

Derek could tell she didn't believe him. He didn't know whether to be insulted or feel sorry for her. He quickly stopped that train of thought and reminded himself they didn't know anything about this girl beyond what she was telling them, which could all be a big act to gain their trust.

 _''She's not Kate''_

His brother's words ringed in his ears so hard he almost didn't hear Heather repeat her first question.

"Who's Allison? I was pretty out of it but I heard Stiles and Erica argue about her. Who is she?"

Derek knew that this wasn't his story to tell. Stiles would talk more openly about his sister when he was ready.

"It's not my place" he told her stiffly.

"where is she? Did something happen to her?"

"HEATHER!" He yelled to shut her up. The first time he had referred to her by name rather just "she" or "her".

It worked briefly before she asked another question. A simple question for a long explanation.

"What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

He groaned. He didn't hate her. He just didn't like or trust her. The girl really hadn't done anything deserving of it either. It sprouted more from his own paranoia mixed with his past experience that caused him to distrust the girl immediately. He was beginning to relent on his opinions but he'd made such a big song and dance about them he felt like he couldn't go back on them.

"We don't know a damn thing about you and you expect me to trust you?! Around my family? Around my pack? You don't understand since you've never had eith-"

He was cut off with a swift slap to the face he wasn't expecting to be as strong from a girl who looked so small. It didn't really hurt but he could sense the force and emotion from it.

Her eyes were unapologetic and unforgiving. Unfortunately for her, neither was Derek.

His claws had begun to retract when he suddenly heard a string of no's from Stiles who had stepped in-between them.

"Move"

"Derek calm down" He soothed

"MOVE!" He bellowed much more ferociously now.

Stiles put his palms on Derek's shoulders and began to push back gently as he tried stalking towards Heather, who was currently watching them both in fear.

"Derek" he said calmly, "Look at me. Derek look at me"

In his aggravated state he still couldn't resist the pull that voice had and obeyed him.

"Derek" he repeated

"She hit me!" he grunted

"I know. I saw"

"Then why are you protecting her?!" he yelled.

"Because Derek look at her!"

He finally did. Initially with the intention of scaring her but he saw he didn't need to. She was cowering in the corner near to sobbing. She looked so terrified and helpless.

Stiles realised what he had to do. If this would have happened in the outside world without his protection she would be dead already. But he couldn't protect her and himself, he could barely look after himself as it was. He was hiding it well but inside he was just as much of a mess as she was.

He knew he had to stay for both of their sakes.

"I'm protecting her..." he paused preparing for Derek to get even madder, "... because she's pack"

Derek just stared at him with pure bewilderment while Heather gave out a confused and audible "What?"

Stiles stared between the two. He started looking at Derek, "I talked to Peter..."

Then turned to Heather , "...and you can stay here with us. W-With me. If you want to"

Derek looked back and forth to see the look on their faces. He could hear his heart beat just that bit faster to let him know how nervous he was. He really wanted her here. He was starting to believe his brother's theory that the two of them were mates after all.

She looked taken aback but complimented in the way a popular girl nominated for prom queen would pretend to be.

"Erm y-yes!" she spluttered. Then she coughed to try to play it off, "Yes I want to be here with you"

She looked at Derek with a look of victory in her eyes but she smiled so sweetly she seemed genuine to anyone else watching. Except Derek, "I want to be here with all of you"

Derek couldn't believe this bullshit. Surely not?

He shoved Stiles' hands off of his shoulders and went to look for his alpha over these ridiculous allegations.

* * *

After he'd left, Stiles did something he wasn't expecting to.

"You shouldn't have slapped him. Do you realise how quickly your life could have ended just now?"

She didn't answer and looked away from him guiltily. He grabbed her arm and forced her to face him. "Do you?!" he emphasised.

"Yes!" she answered impatiently.

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, he let go and stepped back.

She could tell this incident was one that wouldn't be forgotten.

Without a word, he walked away.


	22. Chapter 22

After a long discussion with his uncle he had finally accepted that the lunacy Stiles had spoken was truth. A truth he didn't want to accept but a truth nonetheless.

But if she was going to become pack, become Stiles' mate surely she could be trusted? He wanted to believe she could be trusted, especially for his sake. Stiles had already suffered so much already.

He had been so close to killing her that he couldn't help but wonder what had stopped him. Normally she would be buried in the forest floor by now. But she isn't.

Whenever he wanted to think without going too deep into the forest he would sit on the front steps of the porch. He found that spot peaceful. There was a porch attached to their old house and that was where he would sit when he was younger, staring at fireflies buzz around his arms in those humid summer nights. The kind of nights he wished to return to. No fire. No Kate. No guilt. Sitting here was the closest he could ever get to returning to those less conflicted and happier times. So lost in thought he barely heard the subtle creaking of the wooden panels behind him.

Stiles exhaled loudly and smiled at Derek, who looked at him but didn't respond. It didn't hurt him because Stiles had learnt that Derek never smiled anyway. He had yet to see it.

"How are you?"

Derek suffered mild shock from the question. He wasn't used to people asking him how he felt. It felt foreign yet... nice

"You need to control your mate"

Stiles sighed understandably, "I know and she...isn't my mate"

"But Peter-"

"- I lied. I don't see her as anything beyond a friend"

"Wait a minute-" he paused considerably, "You lied to our alpha? And he believed you?"

Stiles shrugged, "If he did, he didn't let on that he knew I was lying. I didn't exactly give him a concrete answer anyway"

Derek could have gone into a whole tirade about how he shouldn't have lied to their alpha or that he should go back right now and beg on his knees for forgiveness. Or even how preposterous it all was that this was something he thought or even dared to get away with.

Instead he gave an indifferent, "Huh"

There was silence between them. It was surprisingly comfortable.

"I told Heather to control herself around you. All of you"

"For her sake"

"No" he said a little too quickly

Derek looked at him. What did he mean by that?

"No?" He questioned.

"Well yes for her sake but not just hers" Stiles rambled, "You don't deserve that"

Derek smiled slightly. It was only small but it warmed Stiles' heart. It was nice to see. He wished he would do it more often. Even if he could understand that not everyone could recover as well as Scott seemed to have.

"Well maybe a little" Derek admitted, "I haven't been as nice as I could have been"

Stiles faked a gasp, "Derek Hale is actually admitting he's wrong? And that he can be nice?! Who are you and what did you do with the REAL Derek Hale?" he joked.

Derek had intended to scowl at him until his laughter died down but found himself joining in with a low chuckle. It was nice to see Stiles be so cheerful. It was moments like these that drew him further into the pack. But this felt strangely different. A nice kind of different that Derek couldn't quite figure out.

Derek couldn't look away from him. The way his eyes lit up as he laughed, the way he smiled... how kissable his lips looked. The enigmatic pull of his eyes.

Derek knew the signs and the realisation of it laid heavy in the bottom of his stomach like iron.

He felt his heart quicken and his mouth become dry. The rest of the world was drown out by the golden depths of those eyes. Derek knew what was happening... and he hated it.

 _Oh fuck no..._

 _No. No, no, no, no, no, no this can't be happening!_

Stiles noticed that Derek had become silent and his own laughter cut short. He put his hand on Derek's shoulder, unaware of the effect he now had. The effect that he potentially always had but was never realised.

''Hey man, are you okay?'' he asked so softly.

Derek knew not to look into his eyes unless he wanted his heart to burst.

''I'm fine'' he replied curtly.

Before he could give Stiles enough time to respond, he went back inside.

This couldn't be happening to him. Surely not?


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Sorry it took so long. Enjoy!

* * *

Allison panted almost breathlessly in the chair.

''You're officially a child of Artemis now Allison. You can finally repent'' Matt assured her.

She sat up slowly and looked down at the wrist that held her bite. She found it shameful and ugly. It reminded her of how so much was taken from her: her dignity, her pride, everything she believed in and worked hard for. Her humanity... her brother.

Then she looked at her other wrist. The one that held her new christening: the mark of Artemis.

She let out a wide smile.

This mark represented how she had risen up. The Bite was not her choice. Everything that had happened to her thus far has never been a choice. But this was. It was the only part of everything that she had controlled. It made her feel... powerful. For once she didn't feel afraid or vulnerable. There was still pain there from the marking but the way it burned felt so good. She never wanted it to go away. A constant reminder that she was the one back in control.

This was her decision.

She looked up at Matt. ''How will I kill him?''

He came closer to her and held her hands again.

''We have to make you stronger first. Fitter. Better. More agile. Unfortunately you were bitten by an alpha and we are pretty damn hard to kill''

''Hard?'' she questioned, ''But not impossible?''

He laughed lightly, ''Allison, everyone floats down river Styx eventually. And if you get your humanity back then surely it's worth it''

Allison scoffed, ''I don't need convincing to kill that piece of shit. I'd do it for fun''

He reached and played with a strand of her hair purposefully.

''Fun? Sure nothing wrong with that'' he looked up from the strand to stare into her eyes. They were focused and determined. Exactly as he wanted them. ''But don't forget that there is an ultimate goal here Allison. Sacrifices will have to be made''

''You know I'll do anything'' she told him in a sickly enthusiasm.

He let the strand of hair fall out of his fingertips gently. ''It won't be easy Allison. Innocent people will have to die''

She paused for a moment. She felt conflicted then she remembered what her father always said about the Hale fire and the blurred lines were suddenly made very clear to her.

''A few lives have to be sacrificed for the greater good''

He was visibly pleased with her response.

''Good''

* * *

The training had become more and more brutal as the days passed. Matt never fought her personally but she fought all of his minions. They were everything she wasn't.

Allison was an aggressive and sloppy fighter. She took openings whenever she could without thinking and it landed her on the hard cold floor most of the time. They never relented when she was on the ground either. They were just as ruthless. But she never once stopped.

She now understood why it was so hard for werewolves to keep control. It was damn near impossible. Every time she thought of Peter's face something uncontrollable boiled and she could feel the change happen inside of her.

She had figured out that there were only two things she could think about to keep her calm: her brother and her boyfriend. They were the main reasons she did this. She had started to miss Isaac now she had the time. Admittedly that was selfish of her to only think of him now and in all honesty she would have but there was the little matter of having her entire life turned upside down and fearing for her life.

Isaac has to be one of the most complicated people she's ever met. One minute he was stupidly shy the next he could be the most arrogant and infuriating person she ever knew. She had an idea why. He always became more detached around his father. Even physically he tried to make himself as small as possible and she hated it. The only person who couldn't see his own worth was Isaac himself and it broke her heart. Seeing the bruises he tried to keep hidden almost pushed her to sneak into his father's room and stab him in his heart while he slept but no. Hunters couldn't kill other hunters. Apart from that and the fact that she would go to prison, she would have done it without a second thought.

Morals for Allison were always a blurred mess.

From a young age her father groomed her to be the exact type of hunter he wanted her to be. At first it was small things like foxes then it became deer then one day it would become a werewolf. Although Chris was confident in his teaching abilities, he didn't think she was quite ready yet. Her aunt Kate disagreed. Her mother as usual always supported what her father wanted to the point that Allison knew she would never have any opinions of value anymore.

Against her father's wishes, Kate sneaked Allison out of the house and into the woods. He said she couldn't partake but he said nothing about watching, did he?

She was only fourteen when she sat in the corner of that basement and witness the true twisted ways of what a real hunter did. She watched it all silently. Occasionally flashing a smile when Kate looked over her shoulder to make sure her niece was still watching.

It was with a strange fascination that Allison watched all of it unfold. At times it stung her to watch those tired eyes slowly drain of hope and strength until it was all gone. Then she would remind herself of what they were. That her entire family had devoted their lives to hunting these creatures to protect so many innocent and defenceless citizens. In these moments of recollection, she found it much easier to bare, even becoming somewhat enjoyable.

These moments became a secret between her and her aunt. A little wink at the dinner table when her father asked what she did to today. She liked having this secret with Kate. It felt like a game, sneaking around and lying to her father. It was her little form of rebellion. Of course her brother's method of rebellion two years later cost him so much more.

* * *

 _She wasn't allowed to see him. No one was. But she heard his whimpering's behind the door and couldn't help herself._

 _As she opened the door she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand at the sight. It made her sick. He had lashings on his back that were deep and sore. There were still faint drip lines of blood from the wounds that Stiles had tried to wash off._

 _He was hunching his back awkwardly as he tried to find the right angle to look at it in the mirror so he could dab it with the wet cloth he had in his hand. His eyes were red and tired like he could still burst into tears but was too exhausted. He looked broken and stared at her silently as he noticed her entering the room._

 _"Oh my god" she said disgusted._

 _Her brother said nothing and when the cloth made contact with the markings on his skins he gave out an involuntary wince. Allison shut the door behind them slowly to avoid her parents hearing her enter his room. She came closer and gently touched his hand where the cloth was._

 _"Can I?"_

 _He nodded slowly and she took this as a sign of acceptance. She lead him by his wrist and told him to lay stomach-first on his bed. He obeyed. He was distant but compliant with her._

 _She dabbed it gently on the smallest one at the bottom of his back. He grimaced but didn't say anything. Even if it was just to shout at her, she wished he would say something but he held it all inside. She kept dabbing as gently as she could but it was obvious by his brother small yelps that he was still in agony._

 _"What happened?" She finally asked._

 _"Do you really need to ask?" he told her bitterly._

 _"What did you do?"_

 _Stiles rested his chin on his arms and thought carefully. He loved his sister but she wouldn't understand or even try to._

 _"Nothing"_

 _Allison felt hurt but she respected her brother's wishes for her to remain oblivious. It worried her though. Their parents were strict but fair and even she can't imagine how badly he must have messed up for them to resort to such an extreme punishment._

* * *

Allison was snapped out of her thoughts when Matt called her over.

"Aiden get off her" he commanded.

He obeyed him but not before giving a small snarl at her.

She got up slowly, rubbing her sore back as she did, and walked over to him.

"Don't worry. Tonight's target won't be as hard as Aidan over there"

She grimaced slightly, "I don't know if I can do this".

Mathew tightened his jaw as if he was about to start screaming but instead he gave a little smirk rather than the reassuring smile she was hoping for.

"You said it yourself Allison that sacrifices will have to be made for the greater good. Or are you taking this back?" he challenged

When she remained silent, he sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. He tilted her head with his other hand.

"Do you want to be human again? Do you want your old life back?"

She nodded in response feeling too guilty to speak.

"Then I don't see what other option you have"

She felt a new surge of determination. Matt was right. This was the only option she had left. She'd always been cutthroat before with no reason to be. Now she had one and she'd be damned if she was gonna to let anything stop her from being human, even if she has to lose the meaning of it along the way.

"Forgive me for doubting you" she pleaded

He laughed and stepped back, "That's quite alright Allison. As long as you deliver tonight I promise that you will forgiven"

As he walked away, she exhaled a shaky breath. She knew he was right but it still felt wrong to admit. She realised she was thinking too much about it and decided to do what she always did: Stop thinking, stop feeling and just act. It scared her how easily she'd done in the past and how she would do it again.

* * *

Matt and his pack took Allison through Beacon Hill's town centre in a way she never had before. In the dead of the night she was hiding in the shadows and crouching behind objects to shield herself from the sight of whoever was unfortunate to become her first victim.

Matt kept close enough to observe and guide but remained distant.

Allison's eye locked on a young girl. She was stood outside of her car that had obviously broken down, calling her girlfriend to come pick her up. She groaned when it went straight to voicemail. A mistake Caitlin would regret for the rest of his life.

Before even thinking, Allison stepped out of the shadows and approached her silently. She could pounce on the girl now. There was no one else around that would stop her. At least not before she'd silenced the girl.

But no. She wanted to toy with the girl a little first.

''Hey, something wrong?'' she asked, sounding so innocent.

Emily groaned. ''My stupid car broke down! I have no idea what happened, it just stuttered and stopped!''

''Want me to take a look?'' Allison offered, ''I know a little about cars''

''Would you? Thanks you're a life-saver''

 _Oh the irony_

* * *

As Allison looked under the hood, Aiden looked less than amused.

''What is she doing?!'' he whispered loudly to Matt, who hushed him.

''Wait'' he commanded.

* * *

Allison put it back down and stared back at Emily who looked back at her expectantly. Half-hopeful, half-dismal.

''Well?'' she asked softly.

''Sorry. Can't fix it. I could always give you a ride home''

Suddenly, Allison caught a whiff of hesitation and fear from the girl as she realised how little she knew about Allison.

''What's your name?''

Allison chuckled, ''It's not important. You won't be alive long enough to remember it''

Before she had time to do more than widen her eyes at the threat, Allison had elongated her claws and jabbed them into her throat. The girl still held onto life as much as she could. Fought diligently to stay alive as her blood poured over Allison's hand, reddening her pale skin as white was camouflaged with scarlet.

Emily looked into her attacker's inhuman, golden eyes and couldn't help but give into the reality that she wasn't going to make it alive out of this.

Her eyes flittered with tears as thought of her girlfriend, Caitlin and her mother. Of how devastated they'd be. How they would hold each other tightly as the officer told them of how they found her. Caitlin would try to remain strong as she always did and her mother would just remain silent.

As if bleeding her out slowly wasn't enough, something beneath Allison's claws itched and she dragged the girl's almost lifeless body by the claws still impaled in her throat. Her legs were trailed along the road as Allison pulled her away from her broken down car.

Eventually, her eyelids blinked one last time as her soul slipped away from the painful cage that was once her body. The hands that tried so hard to pry Allison's claws away were now limp and Allison knew that she was dead.

She jammed her claws out of Emily's throat. Her body ripped from under her grasp and laid there on ground as cold and stiff as she was.

Something inside of her threw Allison to drop to her knees and let out a powerful, almighty roar. Whether it was out of triumph or despair she didn't know. All she knew was that it wouldn't end until her soul stopped aching. Unsatisfied.

She searched deeply inside of herself. But nothing. Just numb. Her heartbeat was steady. It recovered instantly after her prey was dead. She was unsure what she was supposed to feel. She didn't feel happy or victorious like she was led to believe. Guilt or regret wasn't present either. Allison held onto the fact that she still cared enough to contemplate how she feels instead of blindly accepting. It was a pathetic attempt to humanise herself but it was all she had.

Matt put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.

''Our work isn't done yet''

She nodded silently and got up.


	24. Chapter 24

The next morning oblivious to what was waiting for them, Stiles had taken Heather back into the woods she'd barely stumbled out alive. Understandably she was apprehensive but cherished any moment she could get alone with him.

Except that Derek had insisted that he join them. In fact he didn't really insist, he just turned up and wouldn't go away (Stiles of course being too polite to tell him this and Heather being too afraid to do so after last week's performance).

She didn't know what his problem was. He just wouldn't trust her at all. Every time her and Stiles were studying or were alone, he seemed to find some way of intruding or interrupting. Whether it be a pack meeting or whisking her off to ''training'' which mostly consisted of him and the other pack members treating her like a rag doll. Mainly him. But she begrudgingly accepted that she was improving. She almost matched Erica and Scott but she still had a lot to learn.

Stiles was only slightly better than she was but she had the feeling he was holding back. Stiles seemed like the kind of boy that would be reluctant to hit a girl. It only made him even more endearing to her and her crush on him so much worse.

Derek had no qualms about fighting her.

She theorised that it might be revenge for slapping him across the cheek. He couldn't outright hit her back for it because...

 _Why couldn't he?_ She thought to herself

At the end of the day, the only people who would really make a big deal about it were Stiles and Erica and as second in command, he held a higher ranking than them anyway. Scott might whine a little. Stiles and Erica would be outraged. Boyd would go with whatever Erica wanted and Peter would probably find it funny. Ultimately the consequences for Derek wouldn't be that grave.

 _Maybe he's not as bad a guy as you think_

Then she looked behind to see him trailing behind them with a scowl on his face and she shook her head at the thought.

* * *

Derek really was trying to not hate her. He really was. But even the smug way she looked at him just now made him want to rip out her throat. Normally Derek thought so carefully about how he acted around people but he was behaving rather shamelessly in separating the two when he could. From suspicious excuses to outright dragging her away with some flimsy reason of ''training'' her. The others had noticed but hadn't questioned it. He dreaded to think what they thought of him.

Derek Hale, the guy with a heart made of stone going weak at the knees for the former hunter's son turned werewolf who was barely even entering his twenties. Yep, he could imagine what everyone would have to say about that.

He wasn't even gay. He loved women. Adored them. So why couldn't he get Stiles out of his head? Out of his late-night fantasies?

He'd had many one night stands at bars out of town. It was beyond easy. They'd bat their eyelashes and he'd buy them a drink or two, flirt, then go back to their place and fuck them silly before leaving in the morning and breaking that promise to call them back. That was his way of pleasure.

In his life, he'd only ever had two girlfriends. His first being a nice girl named Paige. She was smart, played the cello beautifully and her family were filthy rich. He felt like he couldn't compete with all of that, no matter how much she reassured him that he was more than enough for her. Her father got a job opportunity in Berlin and they had to move away. It wasn't too hard to say goodbye. The relationship was beginning to deteriorate anyway.

His second (and last) girlfriend was Kate Argent: The WORST mistake of his life.

Maybe women weren't his thing. He could have sex with them without a problem yet he'd never felt that connection: The connection his mother and father used to have.

He wondered what they would think to him falling head over heels for Stiles Argent. He imagined his parents looking at him strangely at the realisation: the first being that Derek was supposedly straight and that out of all the men in the world, he chose the son of those who had murdered their kind for centuries.

Derek sighed.

 _It doesn't feel like much of a choice._

* * *

''Stiles, why did you bring me back here?'' Heather asked him, snapping Derek out of his thoughts.

''Because, Heather, you have to learn this forest. This is our way in and out of town on foot. You have to know every tree, every stump, every rock.'' Stiles hesitated in bringing it up ''It's the difference between whether you make it home or not''

She gulped a little. It still made her jittery to think of what happened here. What happened to her home.

''Do you know this forest?'' Derek asked.

 _Great. That guy's still fucking here._ Heather groaned inwardly.

Stiles gave a ''meh'' sound in response that made Derek clench his jaw a little tighter. ''But we don't have to worry, sourwolf, since you can be our guide''

''Don't call me that'' he commanded, although the fact that he had a nickname for him made him feel a little proud when he considered that he hadn't given Heather one.

 _Oh god, is this what my life's become now?_ He thought to himself.

Heather interrupted his thoughts ( _again_ ) ''I read something the other day that said we can transform into actual wolves? Is that true? Will I, like, grow fur and fangs and shit? Well... more than I already do?''

Stiles spluttered, ''I don't know''. He honestly didn't and he was surprised that he hadn't come across this in all his years of research. Maybe she'd read one of the books on the shelf he hadn't gotten round to yet.

''It's rare but some werewolves have that ability. My mom could do it'' Derek finished rather sadly.

Stiles looked at Derek and saw the sadness in his eyes from such an obvious loss.

He was also surprised because he hadn't really heard Derek talk about his family. Scott and him bordered the subject a few times. He knew they had two other sisters that perished in the fire alongside their parents. He knew that Talia was their mother's name and that's who Erica and Boyd had named their toddler after. That their father was a man of few words like Derek. Strangely enough as he listened to Scott's brief description of them all, he wished he could have met them.

Stiles gave him a little smile while Heather didn't know whether to look at him or not.

Derek hated the way Stiles looked at him with pity so much he averted his eyes.

* * *

As they proceeded through the forest, every now and then Stiles' nose would twitch to a scent it felt like they were getting closer to. It was unpleasant but not that foreign to him. Like he'd smelt it before. He ignored it as much as he could. But judging by the way Heather and Derek's faces screwed up occasionally he guessed they were struggling to do the same.

After nearly forty minutes of walking in the forest it was beginning to look familiar (although there was still territory unexplored by Heather and Stiles) . The large oak tree near the river that looked like it had a face. The collection of wildflowers that made an L shape near the end of the trail. Derek told him not to be so ridiculous but shut up quickly when Stiles countered that if it this was his way of memorising the different journey points of the forest, that Derek should shut up and let him. Derek gave a little grumble but more or less said nothing else.

Heather found the slight display of dominance from Stiles against Derek oddly enticing. In human society she struggled to understand why she was so attracted to power and strength. The idea of a dominating male figure in her life was a pull to her natural werewolf instincts of being an omega. Of wanting to belong to a pack. On a subconscious level, the wolf inside of her resented her father for denying her this. A small part of her sensed the lack of dominance in him and thought of him as weak. As Stiles taught her about pack dynamics and mating she realised why before feeling guilty and reminding herself that he was a single father who tried his best.

She tried her best not to think about him too much. It hurt too much. In the whirlwind of being stabbed, nearly dying and getting a new pack that wasn't a difficult feat to accomplish.

Stiles had also adopted the same approach for his grieving. His parents died at his sister's hands. And hunters probably killed Allison too. If he pondered it hard enough, he felt guilty in acknowledging that he felt more at home as part of the Hale pack than he ever did as one of the Hunters. That now Allison was gone, Stiles realised she was probably the only family member who ever truly accepted him as the awkward, bumbly nerd he was and didn't pressure him to be anything else.

He wished he could look behind him and find that reassuring smile of hers. Instead he caught Heather's. Although it offered some comfort it would never be the same.

* * *

As they stepped forward he took a massive step back. That horrible stench hit each of them so violently it caused them to recoil and flinch.

''What the fuck is that?'' Stiles exclaimed underneath the sleeve of his shirt that he was now covering his mouth and nose with to combat the onslaught of that horrific smell.

''It smells... Metallic? Kind of like-''

''Blood'' Derek interrupted bluntly and started running forward towards it in a panic, starting to shift in the process.

Stiles called out his name but eventually pursued him, while Heather ran behind trying to keep up.

Derek ran forward in a flurry of fear and dread. He needed to know what or who it was. This amount of blood was not usual for the usual slaughter amongst woodland creatures. It was an anomly in a typically peaceful forest.

Without even thinking he started calling out Scott's name. The irrational paranoia causing him to believe his worst fear was about to be realised as he chased after the stench of death and decay.

Stiles and Heather blindly followed him in concern and trepidation. They kept calling out to Derek and trying to offer reassurances.

They had lost sight of him but knew he was still in front of them. They could hear his heartbeat and breathless panting, smell his natural scent mixed with sweat.

When they caught up to him, he was stood still. Frozen.

Heather tried to pull him back but Stiles approached him slowly.

He reached out his hand in front of him to reach Derek's shoulder. Everything felt eerily quiet after the pandemonium that had just occurred. He almost preferred it to whatever slow climax this was.

''Derek'' he said softly.

Derek had barely heard it. He was too busy focusing on the sight above him.

''Derek'' he repeated.

He finally put his hand on his shoulder. It was tense and hard as stone. Rigid and unmoving. Like something had truly petrified him to the spot.

Before he had chance to ask, it happened.

He felt a single thick drop of something black on the hand he had placed on his shoulder.

Stiles felt a rush of sickness under his skin as soon as he realised what it was: Blood.

The dripping stopped and all Stiles could do was stare until a earth shattering scream broke through the silence and tore it apart.

He turned to look at a hysterical Heather who wouldn't stop screaming. While Derek wouldn't move transfixed on one spot in the sky. For some reason, Derek's silence chilled him more than Heather's screams. He'd never seen Derek look so... blank before. Even in the basement he had some emotions: resignation, anger. Now he looked petrified.

Stiles dared to look up and he understood.

There was a body hanging there up high in the branches. It was barely hanging on by the rope., the only thing keeping together. There were smears of blood trailing down from under the rope hung around her neck. She was bathed in it. At this point the blood had turned a rotting black colour and flies swarmed around her. Stiles was doing his best to remain calm but the urge to vomit kept strengthening as his senses were overwhelmed by death and rotting decay. He'd never smelt a rotting body before and he never could have prepared himself for the reality.

He forced himself to take charge and stay calm. Heather had stopped screaming but she was now pale and shivering. Derek remained the same. He howled for the rest of his pack. It was instinctual to him now. He could wonder about what that meant later, for now they had bigger concerns than Stiles' moral compass.

He then noticed something about the body he hadn't before: a symbol. Although he really didn't want to, he came closer to inspect it. The symbol was carved into the girl's naked body on various places: her stomach, her arms, her legs.

Stiles thinks he might have seen it before but he was unsure. It looked like an A with an arrow going through it.

 _" A for Argent?"_ he mused to himself.

It was the only option that made sense. Their family did use crossbows, Allison was especially skilled with that weapon so perhaps the arrow that's supposed to represent hunters.

But then why hadn't he seen it?

Surely if this was their...

 _Tag? Mark?_

... he would have seen it by now. Besides he tried not give himself hope too much that this meant they were alive. It would only hurt when it turned out to not be true.

The display did fit the boasting nature of his family but even he doesn't think they would go this far but Stiles didn't pretend to know his family as well as he once thought he did.

Before he had time to think about the implications of the marks, Stiles could hear three heartbeats racing towards them. Oddly enough he could identify them as Scott, Erica and Peter before they came tumbling in. Boyd had obviously stayed back to protect Talia.

"We heard the screams, what happened?!" Erica panted.

Stiles pointed at the corpse above them wordlessly and watched as his pack looked above them. All three of them were silent: Erica audibly gulped while Scott stood there, jaw dropped and horrified. Peter was attempting to keep a blank face like it didn't affect him but it wasn't hard to tell he was staying strong for the sake of the pack.

"Get her down" Peter instructed clearly.


	25. Chapter 25

Once they got the girl's body down from the tree, they decided to bury her. If the Hales weren't so affected by fire, they would have burnt the corpse. Her body being found wouldn't help any of them. Hunters and Homicide investigators would question and blame them and that wouldn't help anyone. None of them could get the girl's image out of their heads, even as they piled on the last remaining shovel-fulls of dirt over her.

The symbol was what bothered Stiles the most. He felt disrespectful when he took a photo of the symbols etched onto her bodies. No one questioned it but he could feel the disapproving glances thrown in his way. Whatever it was, he knew it was important and if he couldn't get it out of them, then he'd research it later and find out for himself.

When she was buried deep enough so that no one could come across her and dig her up, they headed back to the house wordlessly. Reassured that Erica was soothing Heather, Stiles walked alongside Derek and Scott. Peter walked in front on his own as expected.

* * *

As soon as they were all changed out of those clothes and bathed, (they didn't want or need that smell lingering on them), Peter called them down for a pack meeting with the main purpose in mind of telling Boyd what he has been surprisingly patient to hear.

"There wasn't any ID on her body. No phone. No purse. Whoever she is, she doesn't matter" Peter remarked harshly before sighing, "This was a message to us"

"So what's the message? Stay sway? You're next?" Heather questioned.

"Possibly"

After some reflective silence on the possible danger, Stiles spoke up.

"Apart from the obvious, what enemies do we have?" surprising himself a little by referring to his former friends as enemies.

There was a look exchanged between Scott, Peter and Derek that made everyone else feel uneasy. A reluctant acknowledgement between the three that whatever they were going to say next wasn't going to be good

"It wasn't just our family that perished in the fire", Derek explained "We had family friends who were there that night too"

"We didn't realise it but we weren't the only survivors left" Scott contributed, "There were others who were alone, scared, who became..." be trailed off not knowing how to phrase it.

''Who became bitter'' Peter finished.

Stiles and Heather took a moment let the knowledge settle with them. If he wasn't so intent on finding out more, he might have checked to see if Boyd and Erica already knew.

''And the markings on the girl's body? I think we can rule out hunters on that one, they never used tags, so who is it?''

Another silence ensued.

''Like humans, we have our own origin stories and religions. The symbols...'' Derek hesitated in remembering, ''… on the girl's body represent a religion-''

''-Cult'' Peter interrupted.

Derek shook his head and rolled his eyes slightly before carrying on, ''- called the Artemists. Their faith devotes itself to the worship of Artemis-''

''-The Greek goddess of hunting'' Stiles interrupts.

Derek nods his head while Peter scoffs, ''A bunch of nonsense''

''Just because you don't believe'' Scott says defensively

''You're right I don't'' He responds bored, ''Anyway, that's not the point. Continue Derek''

Derek raises an eyebrow but continues, ''Anyway, before the fire we were friends with an Artemist priest. Priest Daehler''

''Daehler was a good man'',

Peter's statement was as fond as it was brief.

''Yeah he was'' Derek added quietly.

Another silence filled the room. A sad recognition for a topic unspoken of.

''If you don't feel like you can talk about it-''

Derek cut off Heather ''-We need to talk about it'', he never wanted pity from that girl. He sighed and composed himself from the sudden rise to anger, ''The night of the fire, Priest Daehler and his wife died. So did several others. But what we didn't know was that their son, Matthew, had also made it out alive''

The pieces started to fit together in Stiles' head. ''So you think he did this?''

''No, he probably got some beta do it for him'' Peter sneered, ''He was always a cowardly and creepy kid''

''Beta?'' Heather questioned audibly, ''He's an alpha?''

Peter nodded and Derek explained it, ''Priest Daehler was an alpha. Not a very powerful one with him being a man of the cloth''

''What does him being a priest got to do with his power?''

Peter gave a slightly mocking laugh that wasn't appreciated but he answered nonetheless, ''It has everything to do with his power. An alpha's power is increased by two things: increasing the size of his pack and a higher body count''

''So he wants to become more powerful'' Stiles stated slowly in annoyed realisation.

Peter gave an odd grin, ''Correct''

''That doesn't answer why he left her in the woods for us to find! Or why he scratched that symbol all over her body?!''

Peter gladly stepped forward to explain as he walked around the group, ''When we said he became bitter, what we really meant was that Matt became fucking insane and blamed us for the fire and his parent's deaths''

Stiles scoffed, ''That's ridiculous, everybody knows that-'' and the words became dead in his mouth, feeling immediate shame as he remembered that all of the sorrow and the pain and the heartache in front of him was caused by someone he once loved so dearly.

Whilst he saw the confusion flicker in Heather's eyes, something unrecognisable flooded Derek's. Stiles thought it might be guilt when he looked down at his feet and refused to look up at anyone.

''We know'' Peter offered comfortingly, ''but Matt relied on his faith to cope with his grief too much. Blaming us for not worshipping Artemis. That she punished us all out of insubordination, which I never understood given that I was the only cynic in our family''

"So is this some sort of revenge?"

The cogs turned in Stiles' head.

"What if it wasn't for us?"

Everyone looks at him completely bewildered.

"It's our territory" Derek pointed out, "who else would it be for?"

'Maybe he isn't strong enough to take us on. The fire probably weakened him and his pack probably isn't that big. So if he couldn't take us on-"

"-He'd get the Argents to do it by making us think we killed that girl" Derek finished.

"Then we should counteract" Peter said so casually given the brutal meaning behind his words.

"What? And start a pack war while fending off the Argent's?! Yeah cause that's something we'd survive" Scott added while rolling his eyes.

"I don't see what other option we have" Peter gritted out, his eyes flashing red as he did.

Stiles sighed and suggested the only thing he could think of, "I think we need to go for the diplomatic approach"

"What, with hunters?" Erica laughed derisively before turning serious, "They'd kill us on sight never mind if we tried talking to them"

They all knew it was true. Especially with the Hale pack. They never liked the integration they had with humans. It was always too risky. If the general public found out, the nation would be in pandemonium. Neither hunters nor werewolves wanted that. Even before they started outright hunting the wolves, they were always there. Watching, waiting for a mistake. They even told Derek he had to stop playing basketball if he wolfed out on the court.

* * *

After the pack meeting was dissembled, the entire house was too quiet and sullen for several days. They all agreed that the best thing they could do at the moment would be to survey the town to try and prevent any more murders from happening and that was what their nights had consisted of lately. Ultimately they couldn't do it forever. They all knew it would come to a head somehow.

A fight seemed inevitable with Daehler's pack but it was hard to prepare against an enemy you knew almost nothing about. They didn't know how many members they had. How strong they were. If their relationship with the Argents were any worse than the Hale's had. Whether they could agree on a common enemy. There were so many factors they couldn't account for.

Either way it seemed like they would be fighting a war on two sides with no peaceful way out.

Stiles kicked the end of his bed in frustration at the unfair nature of it all.

He had accepted at this point he was firmly on their side. He couldn't go home and after seeing what Heather went through he doesn't want to be reduced to an omega: alone and defenceless. Although those feelings didn't feel too differently to the ones he felt now. A foreboding shadow looming over him that he's felt since the day he turned into a werewolf.

As Stiles sulked across the hall, he regarded Peter with curious eyes when he made a come hither signal with his finger and retreated into his office. His soundproof office. Whatever he wanted, it warranted privacy. He was unsure whether to feel honoured or threatened but he obeyed him nonetheless and shut the door behind him.

Stiles stood there silently while Peter regarded him with a stare that felt penetrating and scrutinising on an uncomfortable level. His arms were crossed and he stood there rigidly. Whether Stiles kept his fists tight by his side out of preparation or fear he was unsure.

''Do you remember that right here in this office when you told me that you felt like pack?''

An innocent enough question that felt almost anti climatic compared to the possible outcomes Stiles was thinking about.

Stiles nodded dumbly.

Peter smiled, ''Of course you do. Now it's time to prove it''

''How?'' was Stiles immediate response, his apprehensive tone not hidden.

''You suggested the diplomatic approach. It's not usually my thing, I prefer to just claw out their throats and be done with it but clearly this calls for something less... primal than that. And you...'' he stepped closer to Stiles. ''… are the key''

Before Stiles had even opened his mouth to question it, Peter began to explain.

''As far as the hunters are aware you are MIA or possibly dead, correct?''

''Yes'' he hissed, still pained at the constant reminder of his lost kin. Even with the addition of a new one.

''So they won't shoot you on sight. And they may have enough sentimentality for you left to at least listen to what you have to say''

Stiles scoffed. ''It won't work. They all take the vow. If Lahey shot his own turned wife, they won't have a problem with me''

''Then that's a risk we'll have to take''

Stiles poked him in the chest, ''Except it won't be your risk, it'll be mine''

Peter's eyes bleed red and Stiles knows he's pushed it too far again when Peter roughly grabs his face with his hand.

''Do you really think patrolling the town's gonna work? Hm? We don't know how many of them there are and we can't an eyes out all the time. Daehler's pack will kill and the hunter will come after us. This is the only way. You say you're one of us now but I don't believe it. Not really. If you're truly my beta, you will prove yourself by doing this. Understood? Argent?''

Stiles remained silent and still, weighing up all his options. A hard thing to do when your alpha is in front of you with his hand clasping your jaw. All of his instincts are telling him to obey his alpha and when his claws start to protrude his cheeks, he grits out a reluctant, ''Yes''.

Peter smiles and scrapes his claws out of Stiles face.

''You go alone and you don't tell the others. If they see you with another werewolf, they won't hesitate to shoot you both. Now prepare to leave before sunrise''

Stiles shut the office door behind him and retreated to his bedroom and curled up on the bed. He felt like a soldier forced into the battlefield. He'll be at the mercy of his former friends. People he lovingly called 'family'. He clamps his eyes shut and wills his heart to calm down.


	26. Chapter 26

Stiles woke up, slow and reluctant from his bed. Peter had told him to leave before sunrise. But he sat on his bed. Just for a few minutes he kept telling himself.

What was he supposed to do? Or even wear? Peter hadn't told him much beyond the impression of _do this or become an omega_.

Ultimately though, he had to admit that what Peter said was right. They could only guard the town and it's people for so long. They were stuck in a stalemate and they knew it. Plus the last thing the Artismist's would suspect is an alliance with the hunters.

And then there were the hunter's themselves. How much could past loyalty save him now? His parent's and Allison's death must have made things tense. And if Allison really did kill them then they might shoot him on sight to avoid a repeat. After all it wouldn't be hard to realise that Stiles was given the Bite if Allison was when they were both kidnapped at the same time.

He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Panicking would not help him at all.

He hoped they would take care of Heather if he died. He couldn't bare that.

He wondered if he'd see his parents and his sister again when he died.

He finally told himself to stop thinking and just leave.

Stiles got dressed in simple and dark clothing. The red hoodie seemed too ironic to wear given that he was now the big bad wolf.

Shutting the door behind him, he wasn't surprised to see Peter standing there with his arms crossed. He expected more threats but instead, he got a comforting hand on his shoulder.

''You may not realise this, but you were always meant to do this. To be one of us''

The statement made Stiles blink his eyes in surprise.

''How long have you really wanted me in your pack?''

Peter smiled, ''Since you freed my nephews''

Stiles stared at him blankly, unsure what to say.

''Now we have feelings out of the way. We can get down to business''

Stiles was actually relieved. He wondered what the heck he was going to say when he got there.

''What do you want me to say?''

''The truth'' he said simply. ''About the killings. Daehler's pack. How it would be mutually beneficial to work together to bring them down. Focus on how Daeheler being a threat overpowers the need to kill us''

''Then what?''

''I don't trust them to let you come back without following you. I can't take that risk. I will send one of us to go to you in three days. If you're alive, then we know we have a deal. If you're dead...'' he hesitated, seeming as if he actually doesn't like the idea, ''...then we'll avenge you''.

Stiles needed to know one thing before he left. ''Even if I die, you keep Heather safe. Promise me that. I deserve it''

Peter scoffed at the presumptuous nature of his demand but agreed nonetheless, ''I promise you that regardless of what happens to you, Heather will always have a secure place in my pack.''

Satisfied by the steady beating of Peter's heart telling him he was telling him the truth, he raced forward and gave Peter a hug for some reason unexplainable even to him.

Maybe he just wanted comfort from a fatherly figure. Or maybe he was a beta wanting the comfort of his alpha.

Though he was surprised, Peter hugged him back just as tight with a similar affection for the boy and whispered in his ear, ''Derek will be waiting for you''.

Stiles pulled back and guessing by Peter's little chuckle, Stiles' confusion was clear across his features but Peter had bounced off.

Peter hadn't failed to notice the way his nephew had sought after approval from Stiles, affection even. The way his face would be complete stone, but his heart would race faster like it was about to burst. It didn't shock him that Stiles seemed unaware of this. Derek hardly was the type to broadcast his feelings and Stiles was new in his powers so he missed the tell tale signs.

 _Of course, that's the detail he would be vague about,_ Stiles thought to himself.

But Stiles didn't have time to think. He had to go.


	27. Chapter 27

Explaining to his beta's when they were panicked about Stiles' disappearance was not an easy task. He told them what the two of them had agreed and they all stared blankly at him. All of them seemed simply confused. Apart from Derek and Heather, who were absolutely furious.

''You did what?!'' Heather shrieked.

''How could you do this?'' Derek demanded. ''You just sent that boy to his death!''

Peter scoffed a little at how Derek was calling his mate 'a boy' but that was another issue for another day.

''I talked to him about this and he agreed with me. I'll send one of you-''

''Me'' Both Heather and Derek interrupted at the same time, giving the other an incredulous look.

''-to go check on him in a few days''

Heather huffed and walked off but Derek was far from done.

''It wasn't enough he saved us the first time, you're making him risk the wrath of his family a second time?''

Scott watched as Derek stormed off. He wanted to help Stiles just as they did but he trusted Peter. He just hoped Derek wouldn't do anything stupid.

* * *

Heather approached Derek's room, knocking on the door.

Derek sighed and reluctantly let her in.

She gave a little ''Oh'' at the fact he was shirtless. Even if she hated the smug bastard she could admit he was a gorgeous bastard too.

He wordlessly went back into his room and put a shirt on, unfazed by the little burst of arousal coming from her. Derek was not unaware of what effect he had on people. Even for all her deceiving, Kate did love his body. He just did not want that attention. Especially from the girl he was unwittingly competing against.

She took the indication to come in further, unknowingly leaving the door open just enough for Peter and Scott to hear downstairs.

''What do you want?'' He asked her.

''I need your help''

Derek laughed condescendingly, ''You always need to someone's help''

He knew it was a petty jab but he didn't care and it wasn't as if what he was saying wasn't true.

She put both her hands on her hips and laughed sarcastically. ''Funny really. Now are you gonna listen to me?''

''The floor is yours'' he remarked dryly.

''I don't like you''

He shrugged, ''And?''. It was hardly a secret. Slapping someone across the face is usually a big indicator that they don't like you.

''But I'm going after him. Tonight. You seem to want to do the same so we may as well go. Together.''

He considered her for a second. ''Or I could go on my own and you can keep your uselessness inside the house.''

''I am not useless'' she growled.

Derek rolled his eyes, ''Sure. If that's what you want to believe but name one thing you've done to help the pack since you got here''

She stammered while Derek raised his eyebrows smugly. ''I'm waiting''

''This! Right now! What I'm doing for Stiles! I'm gonna make sure he doesn't get hurt''

''Compared to how many times Stiles has had to save your ass?''

''Screw you! Now are you gonna come with me tonight or not?''

''You're staying home tonight and I'm going. End of discussion!''.

The two glared at each other in silence with clenched fists and tight jaws.

''Actually...''

The two turned to see their alpha leaning against the door way, clearly having listened to the two of them with a somewhat amused grin.

''...Neither one of you is going''

Derek huffed, ''You can stop her little omega ass from leaving but you can't stop me''

''She's a beta Derek. Just like you are. And you will obey my orders just like she will''

"No" he said defiantly crossing his arms. "the last time I let you do something like this Stiles lost his sister and became a mess"

"SISTER?" Heather questioned loudly.

Derek promptly turned his head and told her to shut up. Peter surprised him with a hard punch to the face.

Derek stood still for a moment before ultimately dropping to the floor.

Heather looked up horrified.

"I assume you'll be compliant"

Heather bowed her head submissively. She certainly wasn't going to challenge him if Derek's attempt was anything to consider.

* * *

When Derek awoke the first thing he realised was that his face felt sore almost as if...

He remembered in an instant and jolted upwards only to be pulled back by a chain around his wrist. He was now being detained in the basement.

 _Great. Could this get any worse?_

Then he noticed Heather sat across from him in a similar position.

He huffed.

 _Of course it could._

* * *

Stiles had been walking towards the border of Beacon Hills. He found it weird how differently he viewed it now. He never thought his hometown could look so terrifying to him now. That he was scared for his safety. How much his life had changed in the span of a few months.

* * *

"So are you just gonna sit there silent for the entire night?"

He rolled his neck towards her and glared.

"Do you even how to use words? You know, the things coming out of my mouth?"

"Fuck you" he smiled contemptuously, "How's that for using my words?"

"Well maybe if you learnt how to use them properly, you wouldn't have to get sucker punched by our alpha and could have been lead down here like I was instead"

"Well maybe if you knew how to shut a godamn door, we wouldn't be here in the first place and I could be out there, tracking him and making sure he's safe!"

Heather remained silent but he was uneased by her indecipherable expression.

"Why did Stiles never mention his sister?"

Derek wanted to choke her for that. Stiles' past was none of her business.

"She's dead" he said gruffly.

She scoffed, "I gathered that"

She edged as far away from the wall as possible. "There's something more to this. His told me his parents were hunters. Hunters never quit what they do so they're dead as well, aren't they?"

He didn't really want to answer her but what else could he do to pass time than talk, so her indulged her.

"Yes. They're dead"

"How?"

"Allison killed them"

He didn't miss the way Heather's jaw dropped. "Why?"

"She was a newly turned werewolf. It was the full moon and her parents were hunters. What do you think happened?"

He knew he'd left a lot out but he didn't need her judgement.

* * *

Stiles looked around to see the town was as it the same as it was when he left. His heart felt clenched when he saw the same routine carrying on as if he was never here, as if his entire life wasn't tied to this place. As if he hadn't been ripped from it so violently by the same people he was now here to protect. He couldn't bare the familiar sights and sounds so he kept his head down and his hands in his pockets, making his way to the house that now dripped in misery and blood.

* * *

She's been quiet for a while as had he before she said the first thing that came to mind...

"Did you like Allison?'

He scoffed, "No. She was annoying. Clingy. Hopeless. Relied on Stiles for everything." He turned and smirked patronisingly at her, "so you two have a lot in common".

Heather felt her canine's coming through and her eyes flashing gold.

'What the fuck is your problem with me?

Derek turned his head towards her and gave an unimpressed snort when he saw she was shifted.

"I thought I made that clear"

"I am your pack now whether you like it or not so stop setting me up to fail!" she roared

He sighed annoyed. He knew she was right but every part of his being hates her. He know it isn't logical. Or fair. He knows it's because he perceives her as a threat to something he doesn't even have. But damn if he's going to admit it now.

"How am I setting you up to fail? I train with you almost every day!"

"No! You only do it when-" she stopped abruptly in realisation as the anger faded from her face as surprise replaced it. "-I'm alone with Stiles"

Derek's heart stilled and he looked away from her like he'd been burnt. Not a wise way to act but it was instinctual.

Heather almost pieces it together but it was still difficult to fully accept.

* * *

He was getting closer to the house. The familiar scent of the forest surrounding it; the pine, the pollen, the grass that seemed much less green now. As he came closer to the street, he could feel his hands begin to shake. Something in him froze. Tears were bitterly bitten back as he imagined the deaths all his family would have suffered here: Allison choking on the wolfsbane in her body, his parents ripped apart with claws and teeth, screaming.

* * *

"Do you want him?"

Derek wouldn't look at her. He wouldn't answer her.

''I don't blame you. I- I want him too'' she said gently.

That got his attention and Derek looked at her and snarled.

Heather jumped back immediately but was yanked forward by the chains attached to the wall.

Derek shrank back. The words didn't anger him anymore, they just became sadder and sadder as he realised how much she stood a better chance than him.

''Scott thought it was you at first. That I wanted you'' he commented blankly

''Why? You hate me!"

Derek shrugged. ''My love life's never been simple''

''Mine's been non-existent'' Heather added shyly.

Derek gave a bitter laugh, ''Best way to be. At your age, the supposed love of my life burnt down my house, killed my entire family and tortured my little brother in front of me in her basement''

Heather's eyes widened. And suddenly it all made sense.

''Is that why you don't trust me? Because of her?''

He nodded.

''And when I was interested in Stiles...?''

''Yes. I was concerned for him. I didn't trust you and I didn't like you getting close to him. He's too... he trusts too much and after what that cost me, I didn't want him making the same mistake so sue me if I overreacted''

Heather leaned back against the wall, letting her head hit it with a huff.

''So...'' she began slowly, ''In love with the same man... seems like we do have something in common after all''

Derek fiddled with the chain around his wrist and reluctantly agreed with her, ''Yes. I guess we do''

''So now you know I wouldn't hurt him or any of you, can we start over? Please?''

He gave a slight smile, ''Sure''

There was a pause before Heather continued, ''Now that we're cool, having bonded over the whole in love with Stiles thing, can I ask you a question?''

Derek looked expectedly.

''Top or Bottom?''

Heather laughed when Derek groaned in frustration and rocked his head back against the wall.

While he didn't hate as much anymore, she was still annoying as all hell.


	28. Chapter 28

Stiles stood there. Just staring at the house he once called a home, facing a possible death. In an odd way it would connect them all once again. All of the fallen in the same place. At the hands of the same people that killed Allison.

The house seemed empty. No one in it.

I suppose it would be abandoned.

He approached the front steps. He was about to knock on the door when it creaked open confirming his thoughts of being abandoned.

He held his breath steady and stepped inside. He would find the other hunters later. Right now he needed to see it. It wasn't healthy, but he needed to see the blood. The carnage of his house.

Only there was no blood.

In fact, it looked almost like it did before. The doors had been replaced, the glass from the shattered patio doors swept up.

The domesticity of it took his breath away. He saw the photo's on the mantle.

He approached them slowly and held them gently as if a touch would burn him. The frames had been replaced but the photo's had been treasured and kept safe. It touched at his heart.

The photo he was holding shattered that resolve. It was the photo taken at his 16th Birthday. He can see how distanced he looks as he fakes a smile. Aunt Kate and Allison kissing him on the cheeks. He puts it back in it's place.

That photo reminded him of the memories of this place and that this is all this place will ever be. It isn't a home anymore. It's a shell. A time capsule of memories he can never return to. Too much has happened and there isn't a place for him here any more. Deep down, he knew there never was.

''Stiles?'' A hesitant and astounded voice asks and he turns around to its pull.

* * *

A/N: I know. I like to be a tease ;)


	29. Chapter 29

''Lydia'' He said breathlessly.

Lydia Martin. The former love of his life. Or at least as he had pretended.

He took in her new look and it shocked him.

She was dressed like... well there was no other way to phrase it than a hunter. She was lowering the crossbow in her hands and stood there dumbfounded in her army boots and tied up hair.

She threw the crossbow across the room and ran into his arms. Stiles wasn't expecting that much of a reception but he welcomed the hug until he felt something burning his chest and retracted from her quickly with a hiss.

Lydia was confused until she looked at her chest and remembered the wolfbane coated locket.

''Stiles?'' she repeated.

He looked ashamedly at her and flashed his golden eyes.

Lydia stepped back and gave a horrified gasp, covering her mouth with her hands as she did so.

''No...'' she sobbed.

He nodded, ''Yes''

''Bu-but why are you here? Why did you come back?''

He saw her eyes trace the crossbow in the corner and stepped in front of it before she could get to it.

''To discuss peace''

''Peace?! You want peace? I don't understand!'' she insisted hysterically, ''Stiles, where have you been? You've been missing for months!''

''With my pack'' he answered with a surprising lack of hesitation.

''Pack? What pack?'' she demanded

''The Hale pack'' he answered coolly.

''Stiles, no!''

Stiles sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.

''This is clearly getting nowhere. Take me to whoever's in charge, I'm here on behalf of my pack'' he snapped.

''You know who's in charge?'' More of a question than a statement.

Stiles huffed, ''Clearly not since I had to ask''

She swallowed. ''Why are you here?''

''You'll find out if you take me to your people''

Lydia didn't miss the way labelled them your people like he was never one of them.

''You realise they'll probably kill you if I do'' she pointed out.

Stiles nodded, ''I'm aware. But there are bigger things than the feud between our sides''

Her eyes widened. ''What things?''

''It's better if I tell you all at the same time''

''Are you not gonna visit your parents first?'' she asked tentively.

Stiles had prepared for the possibility of having to visit their graves.

''I don't think I can handle that''

''It might be hard, I get that, but it's better than just turning up out of the blue and saying: Hey mom, hey dad! I'm alive and in the Hale pack, oh yeah I'm a werewolf now by the way, but wait there's more!'' She ranted angrily.

''Fine. Take me to their graves''

The next sentence was definetly was something that no amount of prepeartion could stop the impact of the reveloution to come.

''Graves? Stiles, they're not dead''

All Stiles could do was stare at her dumbly, mouth open and eyes wide.

''What'' he stated, completely blown away.

''They're not dead'' she repeated.

''But Allison-'' he trailed off.

Their parents are alive? Then where's Allison? Is she still alive?

''Allison?!'' She squealed, ''She's alive too?''

''I- I really don't know anymore''

Lydia decided now was the time to call it in on the walkie-talkie on her hip. She pressed the button and brought it to her lips still looking at Stiles the entire time.

''Chris? Chris, are you there?''

''Yes, Lydia?'' he asked irritated on the other side.

Hearing his father's voice nearly brought him to his knees. They're alive. They're really alive.

''I... I'm not sure how to tell you. I was patrolling the house and I saw someone going in''

''Did you deal with them?''

''I think it's better if I bring them to you''

He sighed, ''Fine, whatever you want Martin''

She pressed the button and turned it off.

''You ready to go?''

No I just found out my family's still alive and my entire life's been turned upside down once again, give me a fucking minute here.

In the end, he answered with a quick ''Yes'' and followed her out of the house.

* * *

Chris was waiting impatiently at Lahey's house for Martin to bring whoever she'd captured. Maybe someone they could get information out of. He sighed, he wasn't in the mood to deal with blood today, he was too tired. Kate or Lahey would have to do it.

He told the rest of his men about Martin's capture as they sat at the table. Chris expectedly sat at the head of the table. Whether it was Lahey's house or not was irrelevant, Chris was always the head of everything. That in particular hadn't surprised him. It was more the tone of her voice. It was like she was emotionally paralysed. He detected something hesitant. Whoever this is, they shook up Lydia Martin, the girl with the face made of rock.

''Want me to handle it?'' Lahey offered sat at his side.

''Let's see who we're dealing with first''

They saw Martin enter the dining room alone.

''Where's the prisoner?'' Kate asked impatiently.

''I really don't know how to prepare you for this, so I'm just bringing him in'' Lydia told them.

They all looked around each other at the table oddly before he nodded at Lydia.

She gestured her capture to come forward.

Chris' breath caught in his throat. The world stopped spinning as he took in the sight of his son, long presumed dead, standing in front of him dressed in dark clothing.

Stiles swallows and looks at him.

''Hey dad'' he said with a reluctant smile.

Chris got up slowly and walked towards his son. Everyone was silent, watching the scene with unbelieving but hopeful eyes.

He stood in front of him and looked at him. His eyes looked weary and tired. Like he was making the effort to suppress his tears.

Chris touched his face carefully, as if to check if he was real.

He wrapped his arms around Stiles tightly. ''You're real. You're really here'' he whispered softly against his ear. Stiles held him closer but eventually broke the hug.

''You're home!'' Chris exclaimed.

Stiles face broke into sad smile, ''Not exactly''

''Stiles, I... I don't understand''

Stiles stepped back and zipped down his hoodie. He tugged on the collar of his shirt to reveal the bite markings on his neck.

Simultaneously, different things happened.

Half of Argent's men started raising their guns and aiming their guns at Stiles. The other half hesitant and too shocked to shoot the boy they had watched grown up.

''Guns down'' Argent commanded

''Chris, he's bitten!'' Lahey hisses.

'' **GUNS DOWN!** '' Argent repeated.

They all numbly put them down.

''Stiles... you know the code'' Chris told him, feeling like his son was dying all over again. Probably because he was.

Stiles actually laughed. Loud and guffawing then his face dropped.

''No. No I'm not. Because believe it or not we have an enemy in common and you need us as much as we need you''

''Who's we?''

Stiles eyes' flashed golden and it sent chills down Chris' spine. His son seemed aware of this as he gave a predatory grin and answered him.

''The Hale pack''


	30. Chapter 30

After nearly half an hour of insistence that his pack weren't coming to rip out their intestines, Stiles sat down at the table at the opposite end to his father.

"I'm sure you're curious as to why I'm here", he began.

"Get on with it then" Lahey barked. He winced at the kick under the table from Kate.

He continued, "We have reason to believe the Daehler pack have resurfaced. They left a corpse in the woods with the Artemist symbol. They'll attack more humans"

"How many are there?" Chris asked blankly.

Stiles felt surprised at how professional his tone was. It was something he'd often heard but it felt foreign in being directed at himself. It made him feel cold.

"We don't know sir. That's why we need your help. We don't know their numbers, their members, their hideouts, anything about them"

"Why is it our problem?" his aunt Kate asked, "Pack's fight amongst each other all the time, you think you're the first to attempt an alliance with us. I love you and you're my nephew but I don't compromise with mutts"

His blood started to boil. How could this be the same woman he loved so much as a child?

"Did you miss the part where I said they've already killed a human?"

"Proof?"

He took his phone out of his pocket and walked towards them to show it. He stood over his father's shoulders and didn't miss the way they tensed.

Chris and the others allowed no sign of a grimace to pass their faces as they took in the sight. It amazed Stiles how they could be so cold. His mind flickered to the way Derek and the rest of his pack had reacted.

Stiles put the phone back in his pocket and sat back down in his seat.

"Who says you didn't do it?" Lahey proposed, "Put the symbol on her body to frame them so you don't have to deal with them"

"Because that's what they did to us! Do you honestly think the Hale's would EVER ask you for help after what you did to them?" He directed his venomous stare at Kate, "All they wanted was to live their lives in peace"

He took a deep breath and willed himself to keep calm.

"They were careless. If they keep on doing this, it could mean exposure and you don't want that anymore than we do. And if they meant to frame us for that girl's death then they tried to use us as a distraction meaning-"

"-meaning they have something bigger in mind'' Chris finished.

''Exactly. We don't know what that is or what the consequences could be''.

Chris paused, considering for a second.

''Alright'', he began. ''Say we were interested in this alliance and we believed what you were saying, how would we go about it?''

Stiles swallowed, ''My pack are coming in a day or two''

''Overconfident much?'' Lahey snorted.

Stiles set his eyes back on him. ''Actually it was to check if I was still alive or not when they arrived'' He looked straight at his father, ''I may be your son but I know how easily that can easily be forgotten''

Chris, for once, felt ashamed and he couldn't meet his eyes. Thankfully Kate intervened on his behalf.

''And what exactly will your pack bring to the table?''

''There's our tracking and fighting abilities as you are aware of, but there are things about the Daehler's you are not aware of''

''Then tell us'' She insisted.

''No. If I tell you I have no guarantee you won't kill me and go after the Daehler's on your own''

Kate upper lip twitched, ''You're right, you won't''

She got up out of her seat and stood in front of him. ''It looks like you've got a deal...''

She bent down and wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear, ''… nephew''.


	31. Chapter 31

After the talks, Stiles was awkwardly resigned to having to sleep in his old bedroom. He would have to wait and live back home until his pack came for him.

Only this didn't feel like home anymore.

When Chris brought him to his room, he didn't enter it. He stood in the doorway and looked at it all. He didn't know why he expected it to look much different. His posters were still up on the wall staring at him. His bed sheets smelled of him and his scent, like his parents somehow couldn't bare to wash it away. It felt odd looking at it now. Experiencing it as an outsider, knowing he wasn't welcomed back and it made his insides twist. It felt like play pretend.

Chris noticed it too. The way his son observed the room like it was foreign territory to him now. That thought hit too close to home when he considered his son was now one of them.

Stiles stepped past the doorway gingerly and stood uncomfortably in the centre of the room, looking around his surroundings. Chris felt that hurtful reminder of his new state when he saw Stiles take a deep inhale of his surroundings and produced a wolf-like whine at the almost familiar scent.

Eventually he perched on the end of his bed. He sat there rigid and fidgeting.

''Stiles'' he began, ''Is it just you or-''

Allison

Stiles scoffed, ''Allison left me the first chance she got''

Chris couldn't- refused to believe that was the case. ''No''

Stiles nodded, ''Yeah, she did. Peter gave her the option of staying or leaving me behind without a goodbye'' he looked down at his lap ashamedly, ''Guess I wasn't worth it to stick around''

''So you don't know where she is?'' He asked.

Stiles shook his head, ''In all honesty, I thought she came back here and killed you and mom''

Chris' eyes widened, ''Wh- Why would you think that?''

''When wolves join a new pack, particularly insecure ones feel the need to eradicate traces of their old pack to show their loyalty to their new pack. And what's the closest thing to a pack than your own family?'' Stiles explained, ''Peter wanted me and Allison to kill you both. That's why he let her go on a full moon''

''And you stayed with the man who did that?'' Chris spat, not hiding his disgust.

''Fuck you'' Stiles sneered, looking his father dead in the eyes, ''You don't know a goddamn thing about how hard this whole thing has been for me. I was scared and alone and the Hale pack were there for me. Allison was a fucking wreck the whole time and then she left me when we needed each other the most. So yeah maybe my loyalties changed! It also doesn't help knowing that I couldn't go home without getting a bullet in my head!"

Chris was unsure what to do. He felt at his wit's end, ''Do you want to see your mother?''

Stiles shrugged, ''I don't care'' before he flopped down on his side and rested his head on the pillow.

Chris turned off the light to the room.

''Good night...'' he added hesitantly, ''...Son''

Stiles pretended he didn't hear.

* * *

It came as no pleasant surprise when Stiles felt a waft of that pack scent and he came rushing to the front door.

He could have collapsed in relief when he saw Peter, Derek and Scott stood in the dining room exchanging hushed conversations with Chris.

Stiles immediately ran to Derek and hugged him. His scent was the most homely and familiar and Stiles guided his nose into the man's neck to get closer to the smell. Derek held on just as tightly.

Chris watched the exchange in disgusted intrigue.

Stiles drew back and attached himself to Scott, repeating the same process.

When he got to Peter, the man simply chuckled and patted Stiles on the head.

That particular gesture felt maddening for Chris. It was a gesture he often gave his son and the way he looked at Stiles in a fatherly manner infuriated him when he was still his son.

''We should probably start the meeting now we know our pack member is safe'' Peter said, tilting hs head with a challenging smirk.

Chris cleared his throat, ''WE give the orders around here'' but he lead the pack into the dining room regardless.

Stiles saw his pack still at the sight of Kate sat there, who delighted in their response.

''Hello boys. Take your jackets off. It's rather warm in here don't you think?'' she provoked.

The snarl escaped Stiles before he could stop it and he felt his eyes bleed into beta gold. He felt himself calm at the touch of Scott's hand on his shoulder. He smiled at him reassuringly and they all sat down.

''So'' Peter began, ''I assume Stiles filled you in the situation we are dealing with?''

''Mostly'' Chris answered, ''He wouldn't tell us everything''

Peter smirked, ''Of course not. He's a smart pup''

Chris knew the word 'pup' was to set a painful reminder that Stiles was one of his now and he grinded his teeth momentarily before Peter carried on.

''We have been patrolling the town at nights the best we can to prevent attacks. But of course, we're a small pack. As effect as we are...'' the thinly veiled threat hung in the air, ''… we cannot predict what Daehler will do when and where''

''Where did he strike last time?''

''They abandoned the girl's body in the forest. Where they killed her beforehand we don't know''

''You don't know?'' Kate repeated, ''Surely you reported the body to the police?''

''Why would we?'' Derek argued, ''You'd just assume it was us''

''Yes because that would be a tragedy'' She droned.

''Anyway...'' Chris interfered with a sharp look at Kate, ''… did you check the missing persons list?''

''People go missing everyday Christopher-''

''-Don't call me that''

''-Argent'' he corrected, ''Whose to say she even belonged to Beacon Hills and wasn't just passing through? There were too many variables to account for and too much risk reporting it''

''So where's the body now?''

Kate shrugged, ''Does it matter?''

''You know for someone obsessed with preserving human life, you're surprisngly nonchalant about it'' Scott piped in.

Kate set her sights on him and Scott tried to repess the urge to squirm in his seat.

''What's the point in preserving life when it's already gone? It's better without the authorities involved, less to explain''

''And the license to what you want'' Scott countered.

''And don't you know it honey?''

''ENOUGH!'' Stiles roared surprising everybody there.

He turned his glare back to Kate, ''This is a truce. A temporary one I grant you but hurt any of our pack and we won't hesitate to act''

Kate shrank under the hateful eyes of her dear nephew.

Chris elaborated on Stiles' point, ''He's right'' and addressed his fellow hunters, ''This is a truce and we have to work together to defeat the bigger of two evils'' he carried on, ignoring the insulted expressions of the wolves, ''Whether we like it or not, we need them, they need us. As soon as this is over we can go back to normal, but until then I don't want any provocation or arguments. Understood?''

All of the hunters grumbled and groaned but ultimately agreed to Chris' will.

''Good. Carry on'' he instructed.


End file.
